Since costume jewelry can be more fun than real gold and silver sometimes, more companies are greening jewelry by using recycled and natural materials and staying away from common metals.
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Claire Fong Santa Fe Fringe
Earrings (recycled leather), $38, lulus.com | | |
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Jewelry designers want to join the eco-fashion movement with opting for real fair trade gemstones rather than plastic pieces, using recycled materials instead of newly made materials, and finding alternatives to nickel and lead.
Nickel-free jewelry is a green option. Nickel is a metal that, in recent years, has become a skin allergen and irritant for many people, hence the widespread availability of nickel-free jewelry.
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| H+M Bangles (nickel-free), $9.95 each, hm.com |
Nickel is a common metal in cute costume jewelry, but it's easier to avoid since companies usually label jewelry with a nickel-free certification or with a nickel warning. Nickel replacements like white bronze and stainless steel are from milder metals that are not harmful to the body.
If neither label is on the piece of jewelry, generally this means nickel and possibly other harmful metals were used in the manufacturing process.
Jewelry is another top item chemicals can seep into, so look into the substance (harsh metals can be present) and background (blood diamonds vs. fair trade).
Vintage necklaces are standout pieces. Before the age of mass producing an accessory, jewelry designers made one-of-a-kind pieces that today are rare unless you shop secondhand. 
