May Birthstone: Emerald

The emerald is a symbol of rebirth and believed in ancient times to grant the owner foresight, good fortune, and youth. The word “Emerald” is  derived from the word smaragdus, meaning green in Greek, is known to have been mined in Egypt as early as 330 B.C.

Today, most of the world’s emeralds are mined in Colombia, Brazil, Afghanistan, and Zambia. The availability of high-quality emerald is extremely limited; consequently, treatments to improve clarity are commonly performed. If you see a piece of emerald jewelry and the stone is a bright green, most likely it has been color treated unless it is a lab-created gem.

Lab-created emeralds are an excellent option as they are identical in composition to their mined counterparts, but are naturally a vibrant hue. They are also significantly more affordable.

Emeralds only rate 7.5-8 on the Mohs scale of hardness, so they aren’t ideal for rings worn every day, but emerald necklaces are always exquisite.

Why an engagement ring?

When I was getting married 6 years ago, I thought engagement rings where antiquated and nothing more than expensive metal and stones. We were trying to save money for a house and a ring seemed like a poor use of funds at the time.

Though I did end up with a ring that I love (unique and sustainable), my thinking about engagement rings didn’t really change until I was burglarized and had a daughter, both about a year ago.

I was robbed of my grandmother’s engagement ring which served as a daily reminder of my hilarious, stubborn Nona. The ring made me take pause and remember her in my life. Of course, I can still do that, but I no longer have the ring in front of me to remind me to do it everyday.

The only piece of jewelry that was not stolen was my wedding ring. I am so thankful that it was the one piece left behind. Someday, it will be a symbol to my daughter (and perhaps her daughter) as a happy remembrance of me and how much I loved her.

(by Meghan, Sulusso Founder)

Pearl – the other June birthstone

Pearls are the only gems from living sea creatures and require no faceting or polishing to reveal their natural beauty.

Pearls are organic and are created when an oyster or mollusk covers a foreign object with layers of nacre. Nacre is calcium carbonate and conchiolin, which is a protein.

Pearls were one of the favored gems in the Roman Empire and the 1500s of Tudor England were known as the pearl age. The first successful commercial culturing of round saltwater pearls began in the early 1900s. Today, cultured pearls account for the vast majority of pearls on the market.

Primary locations for pearls are the Persian Gulf, Sri Lanka, Scotland, Germany, Philippines, Malaysia, Australia, China (mostly freshwater pearls), Tahiti, Japan, Mexico, Panama, and Venezuela.

Fine pearls, especially black, are highly valued having no spots in the nacre and an even, smooth texture.

Diamonds may be a girls best friend, but Pearls have long been considered a statement of sophistication, class and timelessness. You can never go wrong with a set of pearl studs or a pearl necklace.

April Birthstone: Diamonds.

Each of the twelve calendar months has a gemstone associated with it. The origin of birthstones is believed to date back to the breastplate of Aaron which contained twelve gems representing the tribes of Israel. The current list dates back to 1912 with the except of Tanzanite having been added to December.

Diamonds are the gemstone associated with April.

Cut and polished diamonds in a variety of shapes.

Diamonds can be harvested from the earth or produced under extreme heat and pressure in a laboratory (though few exist in the world). Though they are considered to be rare, they are actually not as rare in nature as gem quality corundum (sapphires and rubies).

Diamonds are the hardest substance created by nature and have a rating of 10 on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness. They are 4 times harder than corundum, which has a 9-9.5 Mohs rating.

Today, diamonds can be found in a rainbow of colors including yellows, greens, blues, purples and pinks. White or colorless diamonds are more common and therefore less expensive than colored diamonds. When referring to lab-created diamonds, the opposite is true.

Conscious consumers are staying away from diamonds more and more because of the long history of social impact associated with them. However, ethically sourced diamonds are available. You no longer need to sacrifice beauty for your values.

Color in Bridal Jewelry: Sustainable Alternatives

Although the traditional white diamond solitaire engagement ring is still the majority choice in the US, brides are increasingly interested in unique designs that reflect their own unique tastes and show their commitment to sustainability.

Spinel has recently caught the eye of adventurous brides and is now a hot-trend in Beverly Hills. The gem offers exceptional color range, rarity, hardness and clarity. Red spinel specifically has generated bridal buzz as of late.

Zultanite, considered “the next Tanzanite,” is a drop-dead gorgeous stone and green too. Not only is it a consistent sage color, but it is one of the more ethically sourced gems on the market today. Unlike most colored gems, Zultanite is free of treatments. It is also one of the few gems in the world with color-change properties.

Even the solitaire engagement ring is in question. Consumers are embracing the growing trend in engagement bands featuring mix-and-match colors and custom designs that go beyond a simple prong setting. Discerning shoppers are drawn to designers offering a variety of gem, setting and sustainable options.

New cutting facility to boost African economy

The opening of a $14 million cutting facility in the South African port city of East London is expected to provide a welcome boost to the country’s beneficiation strategy, which aims to increase the amount of added value the state derives from its natural diamond resources.

This means that Africa will appreciate a significant economic gain as more money from the sale of the stones will remain in-country. (Historically, communities most negatively impacted by diamond mining receive very little benefit.) Though the company plans to hire only Chinese diamond cutters for the first two years, the plan is to hire and train 150-200 locals for these skilled positions.

Read full article on Diamond Topics.

Greater Accountability for Mining and Drilling

A landmark Senate bill that passed last week with provisions that aim to break the connection of drilling and mining with corruption and conflict. Under the amendment included in the Dodd-Frank Financial Reform Act (Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act), companies will need to report to the Securities and Exchange Commission payments that they make to governments. This greater transparency should help prevent mining, oil, and gas companies from making arrangements with governments that represent bad deals for the public wherever those companies are operating.

The bill also contains important measures to ensure that companies importing several metals from countries in the Congo basin report what they have done to ensure that metals sales did not contribute funds to armed groups in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

“This bill offers a ray of hope to people in the DRC and around the world who suffer violence and human rights abuse at the hands of armed groups partially funded by mining of gold, tin, tungsten, and tantalum,” said Jennifer Krill, executive director of EARTHWORKS. “These ‘blood metals’ are sold in the global market, and may end up in jewelry and electronic devices on sale in the US. We welcome this new tool that will help the public to hold companies accountable if they are not doing all they can to avoid contributing to these devastating abuses.”

Through the No Dirty Gold campaign, EARTHWORKS has worked to keep mining from contributing to conflict in place like the DRC and elsewhere. The bill bolsters the campaign’s “Golden Rules” criteria for responsible mining and responsible sourcing for retailers, which includes a provision to ensure that operations are not located in areas of armed or militarized conflict. Thanks to this legislative effort, companies will have added incentive to avoid causing and exacerbating conflict.

Blood Diamonds Expected to Flood Market

Blood diamonds will flood back into the worldwide market unless a way is found to bring Zimbabwe back under global control at a key meeting next week, according to one of the world’s biggest diamond tycoons.

Willie Nagel, founding father of the Kimberley Process – a group made up of government, human rights and diamond-industry officials to prevent the trading of diamonds that could be used for financing wars – has warned that Zimbabwe is not adhering to the “clean trade” system.

Read the full article now.

Over the past year, I have written about this issue several times. There has been widespread criticism of the Kimberley Process beyond just their failure to reject Zimbabwe diamonds. The reality is that blood diamonds (conflict diamonds) are entering the market. Consumers who share my concern should be sure to receive documentation about the origin of the diamond they purchase. Kimberley Process certification no longer provides peace of mind.

Conflict-free diamonds – conflicting definitions.

I just came across a rather disconcerting entry on Wikipedia when I searched for “conflict-free diamond.”

Here is how the entry begins:

Conflict-free diamonds are diamonds of certified origin which are guaranteed not to be obtained through the use of violence, human rights abuses, child labor, or environmental destruction. These diamonds are individually tracked through their full chain of custody to ensure that ethical practices are used in mining, cutting and polishing. (The Conflict-free Diamond Council is sited as the source of the definition.)

Here is a the definition of conflict diamonds that is generally accepted:

Conflict diamonds – rough diamonds used by rebel movements to finance wars against legitimate governments. (The source of this definition is the Kimberley Process website.)

Do you see the huge discrepancy here? According to the Kimberley Process, the agency that certifies diamonds as conflict-free, conflict-free has nothing to do with human rights abuses, child labor or environmental destruction. Their definition is much more narrowly defined than what the Conflict-free Diamond Council is saying.

Conflict-free diamonds are not necessarily ethically sourced, but ethically sourced diamonds are always conflict-free.

Rhodium plating of white gold jewelry

Rhodium is a precious metal, a member of the platinum family. Rhodium electroplating is used on jewelry to provide a surface that will resist scratches and tarnish, and give a white, reflective appearance.

Rhodium plating is typically used on white gold. The term white gold is something of a misnomer. Gold is actually yellow, what jewelers call white gold today is an alloy (mixture) of gold and a white metal – usually nickel, silver, or palladium (another member of the platinum family). Metals known as white are actually more of a gray color, so white gold has a yellowish cast. The higher the karat weight, the more gold there is in the alloy, the more yellow the cast appears. Since the wearer of white gold is looking for a bright white look, a very thin layer of rhodium electroplating is used to make that jewelry shine.

It is important to know that rhodium plating does not last forever. The plating on something that takes a lot of wear, like a wedding ring, can wear away in as little as two years, while a necklace or pin that is worn less frequently or comes in less contact with your skin or the elements can keep its plating for many years. Often it is only when the rhodium plating starts to wear (the jewelry will have a yellowish cast) will you realize that the ring had been plated.

Though quality and durability are certainly a concern, the most troubling issue with the practice of rhodium plating is that it is incredibly toxic. When Rhodium solution wears out (and gets weak) it usually poured down the drain. The solution, containing sulfuric acid, is then flushed into the water system. Sulfuric acid is a known cancer causing agent.

It is also unsafe for workers to rhodium plate jewelry. The fumes of working with the chemical are toxic and usually used in an environment with poor ventiliation where workers are not properly outfitted with safety gear. 

When purchasing white gold jewelry, be sure to ask if it has been rhodium plated.