“How to tie an eco-friendly knot - The Province” plus 2 more |
- How to tie an eco-friendly knot - The Province
- Abazias Now Offering 1-Off Rings and Jewelry - PRWeb
- More Players at Fairgrounds - DIAMONDS.NET
| How to tie an eco-friendly knot - The Province Posted: 11 May 2010 06:54 PM PDT In Paris, in front of the Notre Dame Cathedral on Christmas Day in 2008, Brian Eberdt proposed to Sarah Facini, his girlfriend of three years. He read her a love note -- their holiday tradition -- and presented her with a ring: a diamond solitaire with an 18-karat white gold band. Eberdt had chosen the ring carefully, keeping the environment, sustainability and human rights in mind. That "ethical engagement ring" choice represents a new environmental trend in wedding jewelry. The factors at play in this trend are as varied as the couples getting married. Some of the jewelry buyers want to reduce the environmental impact of gold mining -- reports vary, but it can take up to 20 tonnes of ore to produce enough gold for a single ring. Others are motivated by human rights issues, such as ensuring there is fair trade and that communities aren't negatively affected by the diamond trade. Eberdt, a 28-year-old law student, and Facini, 27, an events manager, are a pretty green couple. They have a worm bin for composting, ride bikes whenever they can, and take in their recycling to a monthly neighbourhood depot. As often as they can, they buy local, organic, ethical products. "If I was going to get Sarah a ring, I wanted to know that it was meaningful, and that it aligned with our own values and lifestyle," Eberdt says. "And it adds to the character of the gift, you know? It's more suited to her. And it's going to be on her finger for the rest of her life." There are several ways to find an ethical engagement ring. You can buy a band made from recycled gold, silver or platinum and set with a Canadian diamond. You can also purchase antique or second-hand jewelry, further reducing the impact on the environment. If custom is what you want, you can have a ring made by a local jeweler, using a Canadian diamond, adding a "buy local" flair to an ethical ring. Eberdt had looked around at local stores, but couldn't find something that would fit Facini's style -- classic, minimal, refined -- so he started searching online. "When I initiated the search, I didn't even know what the spectrum was in terms of what environmentally friendly or socially responsible rings were out there. So I did all my research online, looking at websites and options," he says. He learned about the differences between Canadian and African diamond mines (Canadian mines are better run, generate less waste and pay people well), and about the Kimberly Process, an international certification for conflict-free diamonds. From an environmental perspective, buying second hand or antique is the greenest and most ethical choice, which Eberdt says he considered. But from a life-as-a-balance sustainability perspective, buying a new, ethical ring just felt like the right choice for the couple, they say. Eberdt found the perfect ring for Facini through Brilliant Earth's website. A well-known purveyor of ethical engagement rings, the San Francisco-based company sells recycled gold, silver and platinum rings, paired with Canadian diamonds from their showroom and online store. For their wedding bands, both white gold, the couple travelled to the San Francisco showroom to pick through the selection more closely. Brilliant Earth salvages gold, silver and platinum from old computers, existing jewelry and industrial materials. Until recently, the company only used diamonds from two Canadian mines, but have begun purchasing from a diamond mine in Namibia that fits its ethical standard. The company also donates five per cent of its profits to charities which benefit African communities affected by the jewelry trade. Casey Van Wensem, 22, and his fiancée, Amy Collins, 21, try to buy second hand before buying new in most cases. So they examined a variety of options before deciding on second-hand wedding rings. The university students had already purchased fair-trade engagement rings from a dealer on Saltspring Island, in an effort to find something unique that they could afford. "We buy a lot of things second-hand, naturally. It just seemed the most logical thing for us to do," Van Wensem says. The environmental aspect factored in as well, he says. "By buying something used, you're not using up any new resources. You're just taking something someone has already loved, and has a bit of history to it." Van Wensem and Collins did consider rings from Idar, at 946 Fort St., because of its commitment to ethical sourcing of diamonds, metals and its from-scratch construction. In the end, they decided to go with the antique rings instead. Collins' wedding band has three diamonds set in white gold from the 1940s, while Van Wensem's is a 14-karat hand-hammered gold band, almost the same as the one he considered buying new. Jocelyn Zumach, the workshop manager and a jeweler at Idar, thinks the ethical engagement ring craze is a bit of clever marketing. The business at Idar focuses on trust: trusting suppliers to provide what they consider to be the only ethical diamonds out there -- Canadian and Australian -- and the trust gained from working with Canadian metal refineries. There's also a big difference between a local jeweler, who, like Idar, makes all products from scratch, and others who order wax moulds from catalogues and assemble the rings for a premium, or the assembly-line practices used by some jewelry companies. "This marketing -- this yada-yada-yada -- is really pretentious," says Zumach. She found one website advertising vegan jewelry, which encouraged jewelers to use organic cotton polishing pads, and in the same paragraph, encouraged them to use eggs instead of chemical polishing products, which is absolutely not vegan. "There's so much marketing hoopla, and there are a lot of untruths out there." Idar Bergseth, the award-winning Victoria jeweler who started the shop in the 1970s, says good jewelry is an amulet, a heritage piece to be passed down from generation to generation, and that people should be wary of claims about recycled gold. Quality gold doesn't get recycled, and unless its re-refined -- which takes a huge amount of energy -- a karat stamp can't be given. It could be brittle, fragile or porous, he says. People bring in their jewelry purchased online, and often it can't be fixed, Zumach says. "Gold has always been recycled. Nobody would ever throw gold away. It's all sent to the refinery. A lot of what we use is gold that we're getting back from what's refined," says Zumach. "Not a lot of new gold gets added in there." Bergseth says a lot of gold is mined as a byproduct of other mining, such as copper. He also says people need to be wary about whether their Canadian diamond is really Canadian. "Nowadays you have to be determined to get Canadian diamonds. You have to know the supplier and trust them. You have to be able to say, 'Where did this diamond come from?' " Bergseth says. "I am very proud to sell what I believe is a true Canadian stone. When we opened up the Canadian mines, it was the first time I felt good about selling a diamond." The staff at Idar plan to launch a blog on their website, www.idar.com, in the next few months to try to dispel misinformation surrounding ethical jewelry. Read Steve Carey's blog at timescolonist.com/rethink WHAT IS AN ETHICAL ENGAGEMENT RING? An ethical engagement ring is one made with sustainability in mind. Many types of rings fall into that category, including: If you are buying a diamond, it should be certified through the Kimberley Process, an international certification process to ensure that diamond trade doesn't fund war or violence. If not, don't buy it. Five Filters featured article: The Art of Looking Prime Ministerial - The 2010 UK General Election. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. | |
| Abazias Now Offering 1-Off Rings and Jewelry - PRWeb Posted: 10 May 2010 04:57 AM PDT | Abazias Diamonds is now making engagement rings and jewelry even more affordable by offering 1-Off rings and jewelry on their website. Gainesville, FL (PRWEB) May 10, 2010 -- Abazias Diamonds (OTCBB:ORHI) is now offering 1-Off rings and jewelry along with its expansive selection of wholesale priced diamonds, engagement rings, and wedding jewelry. The company launched its selection of featured 1-Off designs in November of 2009, just in time for last year's holiday season. In most cases 1-Off rings are very limited editions with only just one or two of a particular design made. This gives Abazias an extra edge in offering not only high quality jewelry at affordable prices but in a limited quantity to ensure customers are getting exclusive pieces. This limited quantity means revolving inventory with new styles and new deals becoming part of the normal day-to-day operations of Abazias. "We understand that in tough economic times everyone wants to get a little more for their money. That's exactly why we've added 1-Off rings and jewelry to the already vast Abazias selection," explains Oscar Rodriguez, founder and CEO. "It has been our experience that quality and beautiful jewelry doesn't have to be expensive." The inclusion of the 1-Off line will allow Abazias to convey even more savings to its customers. About Abazias Abazias, a fully owned subsidiary of OmniReliant Holdings, Inc., showcases over 150,000 diamonds, valued at over $1 billion on its website. Most of Abazias.com's diamonds are GIA, AGS or EGL certified. Abazias offers the 'Couples Diamond(R)' which is required to meet even higher standards for cut, clarity and dimensions. Abazias is also a full-service jeweler offering a large selection of settings for stones purchased and other jewelry. For more information about Abazias, visit the company's website at www.abazias.com. This press release may contain statements (such as projections regarding future performance) that are forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results may differ materially from those projected as a result of certain risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to those detailed from time to time in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. ### Post Comment: Bookmark - Del.icio.us | Furl It | Technorati | Ask | MyWeb | Propeller | Live Bookmarks | Newsvine | TailRank | Reddit | Slashdot | Digg | Stumbleupon | Google Bookmarks | Sphere | Blink It | Spurl Five Filters featured article: The Art of Looking Prime Ministerial - The 2010 UK General Election. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. |
| More Players at Fairgrounds - DIAMONDS.NET Posted: 11 May 2010 02:04 AM PDT RAPAPORT... Jewelry Shanghai 2010, held April 9 through 12, remains the most important trade show in East China and the biggest one in the first half of the year in Mainland China. Open to both the trade and consumers, it featured approximately 500 exhibitors from 15 countries and regions, with 1,100 booths in almost 250,000 square feet of exhibition space. The Shanghai Diamond Exchange (SDE), one of the show's organizers, hosted its own pavilion and non-SDE members exhibited in a separate diamond zone. With close to 80 exhibitors, it was the largest concentration of diamond companies among all the China shows. Most diamond exhibitors this year said they didn't sell a lot of goods at the show site but were able to establish contacts with potential clients. Chinese Buyers As part of the show agenda, China's National Gemstone Testing Center (NGTC) held a series of seminars to promote its services and grading standard. The International Gemological Institute (IGI) produced an industry seminar entitled "Earning Trust — Achieving Sales." It targeted owners and sales managers of major jewelry retailers from Shanghai and across China and focused on building trust with customers and developing not just new business, but working to win repeat and referral business. Speaking at the event, Marc Brauner, IGI's Hong Kong–based chief executive officer (CEO), said growth will remain the overarching theme of China's jewelry consumer market for years to come. The Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC) also presented its own pavilion at the show for the third consecutive year, with HRD Antwerp and nine diamond companies. In addressing the importance of the China market, AWDC CEO Freddy Hanard said, "The Chinese market is the most dynamic in the world and it is vital that Belgian companies create business links there. That is the reason why AWDC is investing great efforts in establishing and reinforcing links to Chinese buyers. Recent research has shown that the Chinese jewelry market will be worth around $38 billion annually by the end of this decade." Wedding Era It is traditional among the Chinese people to value the wedding ceremony, although it often creates a heavy financial burden. The China Wedding Expo Industry Survey Center reveals that the average cost of a wedding was $18,400 in 2009, including photos, banquets, wedding gowns and jewelry. It is estimated that urban couples spent at least $61 billion on their weddings in 2009. With the size of the diamonds offered in the market getting bigger, and the promotions by diamond retailers becoming more widespread, diamonds are gaining in popularity as wedding jewelry and many newlyweds are buying diamonds over 0.50 carats, especially in big cities. "The next ten years will see a boom in weddings," said Shi Kangning, the general secretary of the committee of Wedding Service Industries of the China Association of Social Workers. "People who were born in the 1980s have entered the marriage age," she said. "In the next ten years, there will be at least 12 million couples getting married each year, a period that we call 'the sweet goldmine.'" Statistics from the Ministry of Civil Affairs show that more than 11 million couples registered for marriage certificates in 2009, a 9 percent increase from 2008. Fallout from the Crackdown Since Shenzhen Customs busted a major diamond smuggling ring on January 8, the market in China is adjusting to doing much more business through official — and legal — business channels. With the alleged diamond smugglers in custody, government agencies are continuing their investigation into who had been buying the smuggled diamonds. It was said that, beginning in early April, more local Shenzhen dealers and factories were being brought into the investigation. Many trade members were reported to be seriously considering joining the SDE in order to get a license for importing diamonds. The trade volume on the exchange — the only authorized channel for importing diamonds into China under the favorable tax policy — has increased sharply since the crackdown on smuggling, reflecting a move to doing business through legal channels, as well as increased domestic demand for diamonds. Wong Ning, general manager of Cheung Ning Diamond, an SDE member, said, "Our business in Shenzhen has increased substantially after the crackdown and more and more merchants want to do business through official channels. Clearly, more and more companies want the official value-added tax (VAT) invoices now." Five Filters featured article: The Art of Looking Prime Ministerial - The 2010 UK General Election. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. |
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