Last time I ordered flowers for my mom it backfired. Although promised by Canada Flowers to arrive on the special day, they arrived a day late. Flowers are not so environmentally friendly any way.
If your mom has seen too many flowers in her lifetime and likes jewelry, but more upscale than recycled bottle cap earrings or purses made from car tires, TreeHugger has featured a number of mid to upper scale ethical jewelers and designers she might like. A great alternative to junk Mom might just throw away, and certainly something more permanent than flowers.
A few weeks ago I interviewed NY's fashion insider Marilyn Kirshner. Reporting on the fashion know in her newsletter LookOnline, Marliyn gave me a few tips for ethical and green jewelry designers and companies that are making it in the fashion world. Since I'm more opt to attend an Agritech conference, over a red carpet fashion event, her advice was well taken.
Her full interview can be accessed on TreeHugger and Gallery Atlantic where I first wrote the piece.
For a recap, Marilyn recommends:
Justin Giunta's Subversive Jewelry. His recycled designs have a "More is More" aesthetic that makes us think of swathes of artfully draped loot, from a pirate's treasure. Kirschner characterizes Giunta's jewelry as "Very baroque looking, but very cool and hip."
Natural Jewels by Caboclo Jewellery features objects found on the rainforest floors, handmade by the local artisans of Brazil's Amazon river region. They use a variety of materials gleaned from the area - the seeds of plants are mixed with stones, bone, fiber, leather, mother-of-pearl and other natural materials - to create one-of-a-kind treasures.
On the higher end of the green jewelry tree hang Danforth Diamonds, Brilliant Earth, and GreenKarat.
All three companies offer gems that are conflict free and of ethical origin in settings that are recycled from scrap precious metal or post-consumer sources. Danforth Diamonds offers rings that use eco-friendly recycled precious metals "Refined, Not Mined," and conflict-free diamonds or diamonds sourced from Canada.
To hear and read the whole interview, visit Gallery Atlantic. (Kirschner was quick to tell me that "The ultimate recycling is wearing vintage," of course.) But don't stop here, TreeHugger has a fabulously green and gorgeous gift guide for Mother's Day tomorrow.