Eco-blingin'

With my obsession with jewelry and newfound eco-consciousness, I wanted to see what made certain pieces of jewelry more environmentally friendly than others.

CONFLICT-FREE DIAMONDS This week, the news has been swirling about supermodel Naomi Campbell allegedly lying about receiving a blood diamond because, truth is, we all love diamonds regardless where they came from.

But knowing its origin may be an ethical issue. Because of conflicts raging in mostly African nations dealing with an illegal diamond trade system, more people prefer diamonds that come from a government- and industry-approved, fair situation. Before purchasing diamond jewelry, ask where it came from.

FAIR TRADE GEMS These are like blood diamonds with the illicit trade of gemstones, so still ask where they came from and make sure their birthplaces don't have issues with conflict over some sapphires and rubies.

RECYCLED METALS & JEWELS Recycling is usually always eco-friendly, so buying recycled metals and jewels to create your own pieces is green approved. In today's economy, people are taking their old gold and silver to those Gold For Cash places, so there is more recycled metals out there although they are hard to find as separate pieces.

Usually anything that can't be agriculturally grown from the ground is mined like gold, silver, etc., which has detrimental effects on the environment like erosion, water pollution, etc.

VINTAGE JEWELRY Vintage is always in. Old pieces can be found at garage sales, rummage sales, thrift shops, vintage shops, and other places. Reusing antique jewelry lets you have the luxurious metals and jewels without buying new pieces at generally higher prices.

Some eco-friendly jewelry websites like greenkarat.com and brilliantearth.com sell recycled metals and jewels, fair trade gems, and conflict-free diamonds and provide background information on the jewelry you want to buy.