The Sustainable Diamond Engagement Ring - An Interview with the Designer

The Sustainable Diamond Engagement Ring - An Interview with the Designer

From choosing fair-trade coffee, to reducing carbon emissions, supporting independent local businesses, or limiting the use of plastic bags. Every decision we make has the potential to an impact on the world we live in. Many couples today recognise the importance of applying these values when choosing the perfect engagement ring.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Joy - our chief designer and founder - has created a wonderful collection of Ecologically Sustainable Engagement Rings made from 100% recycled materials. Each Sustainable Engagement Ring features a beautiful recycled diamond taken from vintage treasures and reworked into it’s own unique design before being set in recycled gold.

 

“Couples have often come to me with rings that have been inherited. These rings have huge sentimental value but sometimes the band is too worn or damaged to be used by the next generation. We carefully remove the stones and rework the gold into a new design. However, this is not an option available to everyone and so I decided to create a new service where anyone can have their own ring made new from old.” - Joy Everley 

Many of the diamonds in this collection have been taken from old hat pins: a retired piece of jewellery which has largely lost it’s function in the 21st century, and unlike modern diamonds which are machine cut, our ‘old cut’ gemstones have been skilfully cut by hand.

The Sustainable Diamond Engagement Ring

The interview

What inspired you to create a range of sustainable engagement rings?  

"A raised awareness about ethical sourcing in the fashion and jewellery industries has brought some welcome questioning from customers. Mining is a dirty business; tracing stones and metals to origin can provide some peace of mind, but is far from conclusive, not least because gold is alloyed with many other metals. Inspiration struck: why not mine the rich vein of beautiful stones and gold already in circulation, often languishing darkly in drawers and jewellery boxes?"

Tell me about a customer whom you’ve specifically designed an engagement ring for using a piece of jewellery that they previously owned.

"Some years ago a customer brought in a glamorous old brooch given to her by an aunt. It turned out to be set entirely with good quality diamonds. Enough to make a beautiful engagement ring, earrings and necklace. The scrap value of the platinum setting went a long way to paying for all this work too."

How are the diamonds unset from their original settings? Would you design a Sustainable Engagement Ring using a different type of stone?

"The diamonds are carefully removed from their original settings then cleaned and checked. Restored to their full glory, the diamonds are graded and valued. We will be thrilled to work with any other precious stones except emeralds or opals, which are too fragile. The possibilities are endless."

In your opinion, why are old cut diamonds so unique and special? 

"A visit to The British Museum reveals that even jewellery made thousands of years ago never loses its lustre. A precious stone can pass through many hands and be reset in any style. An old diamond already has a history and will continue for generations to come. I like to observe how the old cut stones can be less than perfect, each showing quirky, individual characteristics in cut and colour."  

 

There are a vast number of previously mined diamonds in circulation around the world… So why not make use of them? Our unique service enables our customers to strike an ecological balance by avoiding the depletion of natural materials. We can happily work with your own diamond jewellery by carefully unsetting the stone to create a bespoke ring of your own design.

Since launching the Sustainable Engagement Ring service we’ve seen huge interest from clued-up couples who just LOVE the natural beauty of diamonds whilst wanting to make an informed and sustainable choice.

Shop our ready-to-wear Sustainable Diamond Engagement Rings or view our Bespoke Service to create a tailor-made ring with using sustainable diamonds and other gemstones. 

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