Gents, take note: Promise her the world, and show her
that you will care for it — all at the same time. Be the hero she already thinks you are, and show your
beautiful wife-to-be just how much she means to you. When it comes time to ask her that all-too-famous — and
highly-anticipated — question, consider getting an earth-friendly engagement ring.
Let’s forget about blood diamonds by remembering that there is so much controversy involved with mining them.
Recently, the movie aptly named Blood Diamond brought this conflict back to the forefront of media
awareness. However, this has been going on well before this movie was even made and many people were already
familiar with the issue. For this very reason, many couples have now opted to skip the icy bobbles entirely.
Fortunately, globally conscious lovebirds can carry on with the sparkling tradition of engagement rings
because there are alternatives.
Sacrificing the glitz of a diamond — or the feeling that comes with wearing one — won’t be necessary. Nor
will the contribution to the unethical treatment of miners, thanks to San Francisco-based Brilliant Earth. The company was launched by Beth Gerstein and Eric
Grossberg after Gerstein’s fiancé, who wanted to propose, could not find a conflict free diamond. Gerstein
decided that conflict-free diamonds needed to become more accessible — and so did Grossberg, who did research
about the issue at Stanford. So, together, they created Brilliant Earth in order to provide an Earth -
and miner-friendly alternative to people in the same predicament.
According to the site, “All of our diamonds come from Canadian mines that follow environmentally sustainable
practices and are committed to delivering high quality gems. Our well-established suppliers authenticate the
source of their diamonds as conflict free and follow established domestic business practices.”
Brilliant Earth also dedicates 5% of its profits to directly benefit local African communities harmed by the
diamond industry. So, even if you’re not in the market for an engagement ring, you can still support the
cause. They offer other fine jewelry pieces like earrings, necklaces, pearl jewelry and other personalized
jewelry, so you can still find great gifts from Brilliant Earth. Something like the Diggers Pendant would be a
thoughtful addition to anyone’s jewelry box.•
Photos by - wikimedia commons,
polyvore
