green wedding
The Story Behind Ethical Diamonds
Even today, many people still don’t know about the contentious issues that surround diamond production. Most people’s first experience of buying a diamond is when they plan to get married, and when caught up in all the excitement that brings, unless you have prior knowledge of the blood diamond issue, it may not be something that’s on your agenda.
Blood diamonds first became a real talking point in the late 1990s. One of the first organizations to raise awareness of the issue was Global Witness. In 1998, it released a report that exposed the role of diamonds in funding the civil war in Angola. Over time, international pressure from various organizations forced the diamond industry to move to try to eradicate these blood or conflict diamonds from society. At this same time, new markets in diamond alternatives and synthetics began to pop up to address consumer ethical and environmental concerns. › Continue reading
What is eco-silk?
Peace Silk vs. Eco-Silk
I have been trying and trying to find an eco-friendly wedding dress for my September wedding, and it was much much harder than I anticipated. There are a variety of organic companies that sell dresses, and a few designers have environmentally conscious choices, but let me tell you, the options are slim. Heaven forbid you want something that fits your body style, or that you’ll actually look good in! I finally found a few choices I was comfortable with on Etsy. I typed in “organic white dress” and found a myriad of pretty little options. Still not much compared to a bridal store, but it was something. It at least got me to the point where I realized I could get it custom made. Since I have such specific requirements I had to get it custom made. I chose a design I liked from the J. Crew Wedding catalog then set out to find an eco-friendly silk to have the dress made from. Little did I know how hard it would be to find an honest vendor that really knew what their stuff (and wasn’t trying to rip me off). I found the easiest choice was to find a vendor, and let them give me a price and to provide them with fabric I’d researched.
I originally asked for organic silk, and was startled to see the price and people throwing the word “peace silk” around left and right. I knew it was time for me to ‘get educated’ about the fabric I wanted for my dress. Peace Silk is a type of unbleached, natural silk, where the silkworms are allowed to live out the entirety of their lives. Ordinarily with silk, only a few of the worms are allowed to fulfill their natural lives and emerge from their cocoon. With Peace Silk, all of the worms are allowed to fulfill their natural lives, and the silk from the cocoons is harvested. It is also referred to as vegetarian silk or Ahimsa (non-violence) silk. Tussah silk is also very similar to peace silk, in that the moths live out their natural life and their cocoons are harvested after they’ve been vacated, however Tussah silk refers only to wild silk worms. The color of Tussah also tends to be a bit darker due to a different diet than cultivated silk worms.
All Things Ethically Sourced
I got engaged a little while ago, and people are constantly commenting on my very unique ring. My Fiancé picked out a gorgeous, unique ring from Brilliant Earth, and I love having the opportunity to gush to my friends that the metal is all recycled platinum, and that the diamonds are all ethically sourced. Yet I’ve been shocked with how many people give me an absolute
blank stare when I say the words “ethically sourced”. You would think I was trying to describe a complex medical procedure. On the plus side, it allows me to educate those around me to what exactly it means to be “ethically sourced”.
Ethically sourced is exactly what it sounds like. It is a broad term that refers to an item or product was brought to you from a source that used ethical practices from start to finish. This may mean that it was paid for at a fair price, or that the source considers the environment and the country or location of origin. Also referred to as fair trade, or with diamonds they are referred to as conflict-free. Conflict free further means that the gem was not mined and sold to pay for an insurgent campaign or to finance a warlord in Africa. Ethically sourced items are free from human rights abuses, or child labor, and did not cause any harm to the environment.
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