In this age where we question almost every purchase as to whether or not the product is earth-friendly, we reach the crossroads when it comes to jewelry. Women, throughout the ages, have indulged their passion for precious gems, especially diamonds, without regard to how they were mined and what sort of price was paid for simply obtaining them, much less for purchasing the resulting necklace or ring. Today’s woman wants more. She wants to be sure the diamond she’s sporting didn’t come from some mine that uses what amounts to slave labor living in squalid conditions to pull the stone out of the earth from a mine that violates all standards for eco-friendly mining. If we are worried about this, you can bet the jewelers who stand to profit from our long-standing fascination with the sparkling gems, are even more concerned.

While some jewelers go on record as stating they only use “eco-friendly” jewels in their pieces, among them Brilliant Earth, who offers a guarantee on their diamonds, is well known. Others take a different view. Jewelry by designer, Judith Ripka, is meant to be timeless. According to Ms. Ripka, her designs should be as fashionable twenty years from now as they are today. This would mean each piece is meant to last, not be replaced two years from now when the style goes out of favor. Diamonds can be used and re-used. In fact, gold and diamonds may be among the most frequently recycled materials on the planet. Ripka’s dedication to timeless, organic styling means her pieces last longer.

Still, no authentic diamond is taken from the earth without some eco-consequences. Hopefully, the world has been awakened enough to the plight of diamond miners and the wretched mines, that those who wholesale the gems are taking legitimate steps to ascertain that, one day soon, all diamonds will be both guilt-free and earth friendly.