11 Ethical Jewelers Making Sustainable Engagement Rings and Wedding Bands for the Conscious Bride
Image: Taylor & Hart
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Ethical Engagement & Wedding Rings
Purchasing an engagement ring or a wedding band is a challenging task. There are many different jewelers and designs, making for a daunting process. And for many women today, where their diamonds come from is an essential aspect of the ring. Every jeweler we have listed here has high ethical standards for what, how & where their rings are produced. These rings are as sustainable as a wedding ring can get, from lab-grown diamonds to recycled metals. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that they are GORGEOUS!
What is an ethical engagement ring?
An ethical engagement ring has been made using fair labor and is made of materials that have also been sourced fairly. Unfortunately, the diamond industry is full of corruption and has extreme working conditions, forced labor, and child labor. The brands listed here do not partake in those activities and go above & beyond to see the jewelry industry more sustainable in the future.
What is a sustainable engagement ring?
A sustainable engagement ring is ideal because it looks at the ethics of how it is produced AND how it affects the planet. Now that we have found a way to create diamonds, we don’t have as high of a need to dig for more. Enough gold and silver are circulating, so we can easily recycle them to create new jewelry. Sustainable engagement rings can be made from eco-friendly materials like man-made diamonds, fair-mined diamonds (which hold strict regulations on who and how the diamond is mined), and vintage and recycled materials.
Our Top picks for Sustainable, ethical engagement & wedding rings:
1) Valley Rose
Price | $420 - 2990
If you are looking for something unique, yet stunning, you must check out these hand-crafted pieces by Northern California-based designer, Brittany Groshong. Valley Rose designs are each made with a technique called lost-wax casting, which is where they create an original model hand carved in wax. They use the highest quality and ethical materials like Fairmined gold and ethical gemstones including recycled diamonds and SCS certified sustainably rated grown diamonds. The collection is inspired by the mystery and beauty of the cosmos.
2) Gardens of the Sun
Price | $69 - 4399
This is your brand if you want a genuinely transparent (& exquisite) engagement ring! A Certified B-Corp brand, Gardens of the Sun was created by Meri Geraldine, who had a strong love for jewelry but wanted 100% ethical jewelry to wear. Their guilt-free line of bridal rings is mercury-free, doesn’t endanger forests and wildlife, and supports artisanal miners and makers. Plus, if you love color and something different than the usual wedding band, you will find this here - & they offer custom rings!
3) AUrate New York
Price | $160-3,000
If you are looking for a more affordable option for a wedding band or engagement ring, AUrate New York is a great jeweler to check out. They are based in NY, and employ 7th generation jewelers to create their beautiful pieces. From recycled gold to high-grade pearls, their materials are all sustainably-sourced. They have an in-home try on program, but if you live in New York, they have 3 locations for you to visit so you can see all the beauty up-close and personal!
4) Holden
Price | $240 - 3999
Holden’s gorgeous rings are custom-made to order (meaning no wasteful excess inventory!) using 100% recycled gold and ethical lab-grown diamonds. They’re Climate Neutral Certified, which means they measure and offset 100% of their carbon emissions. Not only that, but they offer free shipping, resizing, and returns (they melt down returns to make new rings—how cool is that?). What sets this company apart even more is that their entire collection is gender-neutral and they donate 1% of sales to The Trevor Project!
5) Plum Diamonds
Price | $590 - 12000
Another lab-grown diamond jewelry company, Plum Diamonds, was founded by female-led industry veterans and creates responsible luxury wedding jewelry for the modern couple. They offer an intuitive e-commerce customization process that brings a human touch to the digital experience of shopping for your engagement and wedding rings. Sustainability and ethics are at the core of their brand, and their diamonds are rated the highest in quality, clarity, and color.
6) Miadonna
This is actually the brand we went with for our wedding bands. I fell in love with the Paris Vintage Stackable Band. It went perfect with my vintage Pearl engagement ring! Travis went for the Canyon Men’s Wedding Band, but in a 8mm Satin Hammer Yellow Gold. They both turned out absolutely beautiful, and we couldn’t be happier. MiaDonna uses only lab-grown diamonds and recycled metals to create all of their collections. They even have an in-home try on service if you are undecided!
7) Taylor & Hart
Price | $1050-14,994
Based in the U.K., Taylor & Hart believes ethical sourcing should be something expected from them rather than setting themselves apart from others. Their diamonds are free of conflict & always ethically sourced whether it is mined or lab-grown. They only partner with diamond producing countries who are part of the Kimberly Process - an organization created to end & prevent the trade of conflict diamonds. You are able to also customize your ring, & can even add some beautiful colored stones in the design.
8) Aether Diamonds
Price | $689-39,898
Aether Diamonds is the first jewelry company to actually use carbon that’s captured from the air to grow its diamonds! Aether is on a mission to become a completely carbon neutral company by 2023, but until then, you can still feel confident knowing that every diamond they sell has a positive impact on the environment. Not only do they carry gorgeous engagement and wedding rings, but also earrings, necklaces, and bracelets that come in both classic and modern designs. You can even order a completely customized piece for something even more unique.
9) Clean Origin
With 100% lab-created diamonds, you can be sure your engagement and wedding ring is free from any conflict and is easier on the planet. Clean Origin, based in the US, uses only recycled metals and lab-grown diamonds to create their beautiful collections. They also offer free shipping, a 100 Day Return Policy, Free Resizing AND a Lifetime Manufacturers’ Warranty. You can choose from over 200 different engagement rings, over 50 wedding rings or you can choose to build your own!
10) Vrai
Price | $745-2,500
Their diamonds are the world’s only diamonds produced with zero carbon footprint: Certified Carbon Neutral(R). By choosing one of their rings, you are helping save 250 tons of earth removed to mine a carat of diamond, 120 gallons of water used to mine a carat of diamond & 143 lbs of carbon dioxide emitted to extract a carat of diamond. Can you believe it?! Their collection of engagement and wedding rings is over 50, and filled with very classic, timeless designs.
11) Catbird
Price | $294-14k
Catbird has been creating ethical jewelry since 2004. They work almost entirely with recycled gold and diamonds, make everything in their Brooklyn studio with a minimum carbon footprint, and always consider their impact every step of the way. If you love colors or stones other than diamonds, we highly recommend checking out Catbird’s selection!
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