First, a big thank you to Jacob's Grandma Peg for providing us with a really beautiful ring. It was a gift to her from her husband, the late Grandpa Tom to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary.
There's lots of things we like about it. It was a gift with meaning and love which made me feel very welcomed by the Fredregill family. Starting off with a symbol of 25 years of fidelity always before us seems like a good way to go.
We were also aware that investing in a new ring meant paying special attention to where its materials came from. Precious stones are often the way guerilla organziations in unstable countries, particualrly in Africa, finance civil wars. Mining camps in Angola, Burma, Liberia and Sierra Leone are sites of massive human rights violations, including forced amputation and child labor infringement.
For those looking, some alternatives include Green Karat and Leber Jewelers. Look for Canadian diamonds and recycled gold. Also, be aware that if you don't know the country it came from, it isn't clean. De Beers, the London warehouse, is where most jewelers get their gems. The company doesn't keep records of where the diamonds are mined so they certify them all as clean. Go figure.
See this article for more on de Beers.
1 comment:
Melissa,
It IS a beautiful ring! And I just learned a thing or two about diamonds! I love looking down at my ring and thinking of my grandmother - remembering seeing it on her hand for so many years.
I'm glad you have established a home base in the blogosphere. I'm looking forward to checking in with you. It's going to be neat to see how your "unique" wedding comes together. Of course I would love to help any way I can. We do have a kilt that can be recyclyed...I was also glad to see free range eggs listed as one of your interests ;)
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