by If you’re looking for the perfect engagement ring, there are various factors to consider before making your purchase. In the end, you want to ensure that your purchase was worth the money and effort – that’s where ethical engagement rings come in.
Why is buying an ethical engagement ring important?
Well, it all boils down to playing your part in ensuring that we make our world better collectively. That’s in consideration that ethical jewelry is usually free of associations with human rights as well as environmental violations.
Conflict jewelry, also known as blood jewelry, on the other hand, originates from areas that are controlled by forces that oppose the legitimate government. Such jewelry is not only used to fund the opposition forces and various illegal activities but is also related to the use of child labor, unfair working conditions, and even destruction of our precious environment. You can learn more about conflict jewelry from the Greener Diamond foundation.
Buying an ethical engagement ring is the best thing to do since it contributes toward bringing to an end all the atrocities associated with blood jewelry.
How can you tell if the engagement ring is ethical?
If you want to tell whether your ring is ethical, here’s what you should do:
1. Do a lot of research on the ring. Only purchase jewelry from reputable retailers. One of my favorite retailers is MiaDonna. They offer beautiful, ethical and affordable diamond alternatives that help free innocent children oppressed by the active conflict in the diamond mining industry.
2. Check the origin of the ring, to ensure that it’s not from certain countries that are known that have a reputation of blood diamonds. Some of these countries are Angola, Liberia, The Democratic Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe, and Cote d’Ivoire.
3. Ask to see certification, to know the true history of the stone on the engagement ring that you wish to buy.
4. Before buying a ring, ask lots of questions about the ring, and beware of vague answers. Ask questions like:
- Where were the stones used in the ring mined?
- Can you track the origin of the stones?
- What are the company’s ethical sourcing standards?
- Does the company support ethical jewelry, and do they have documentation as proof?
Which stone should you choose?
The ideal stone for your engagement will depend on various factors such as:
- Personal preferences
- Durability
- Price
- Beauty
Here’s a quick guide on the best stones for an engagement ring:
1. Diamond for beauty and durability
If you’re after a durable and classic-looking stone, you should not go wrong with diamonds. One thing to keep in mind when choosing a diamond is that these stones are further graded according to a scale known as the “The Four Cs” (Carat, Cut, Clarity, and Color). As such, the choice of your diamond will most likely depend on how much you are willing to spend as well as what your preferences are.
2. White Sapphire if you want a stone that is less expensive but still unique
While sapphire is not as hard as diamond, it still has a high resistance to surface scratching, and also looks beautiful. Sapphire also lasts a long time when well taken care of.
3. Aquamarine, blue sapphire or ruby for matching beauty and hardiness
Aquamarine and blue sapphire has a light aqua hue to it, while ruby is a red-pinkish stone. The good thing with these two stones is that they are not only beautiful but also highly resistant to normal wear and tear.
4. Avoid pearl, emerald, and opal
These stones, despite being super attractive are known to have durability issues. Since they are not as hard as the other stones mentioned above, they are more prone to surface scratching and cracking and/or chipping.
Other considerations to keep in mind
When looking for the perfect ring, you should not only consider the basic factors such as beauty and durability. It’s highly advisable that you also consider other factors.
The main additional considerations to make include:
- Ease of maintenance,
- Ring upgrade ease, and the different upgrade options available
- Lifestyle considerations, such as one’s nature of work
Choosing the right ethical engagement ring should not be a hard thing to do, so long as you know what you’re after. Before deciding to purchase an engagement ring, take the time to find out whether it meets your expectations, and how likely it is for your partner to love your choice. Where possible, you can indirectly involve your partner in the buying process, to ensure that you don’t go wrong with your choice.
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