Good for the Earth Gems and Jewelry

Finish off eco-friendly outfits with elegant, fair-trade jewelry

So far I have covered organic and fair-trade beauty products and skin care lines, vegan and environment-friendly bags as well as all types and styles of organic clothing. All very stylish, earth-friendly items, but what about the ultimate accessory: JEWELRY? This week I am focusing on two green jewelry lines called Lucina Eco-Friendly Jewelry and Moonrise Jewelry, neither of which make you think of 'hippie chic', in that hemp jewelry paired with a crochet hat and Birkenstocks kind of way.

Moonrise Jewelry, founded by Meredith Restein and Liz Watson is based out of Virginia and uses fair-trade, semi-precious gemstone beads, said Restein. The gems are eventually transported to the Moonrise studio, being closely tracked along the way to ensure environmental practices. The gemstones are originally found in mines in Latin America as well as the United States. Some of the gemstone beads that Moonrise uses include Black Jasper from Oregon, Brazilian Amethyst and Mexican Fire Opal. "They have all been extracted from the earth using the most environmentally-sensitive practices (most by hand), and cut in their model Chinese factory which protects workers' rights, safety, and health while providing exceptional compensation and benefits to workers," said Restein.

Other fair-trade and eco-friendly materials used by Moonrise include bamboo, seeds, orchid blossoms (one of the more popular materials in the company), recycled glass and Tiger Ebony Wood Beads. Also, the metal components of the Moonrise pieces are made by members of the Fair Trade Association, frequently using recycling silver, added Restein.

Restein and Watson work in Eastville, VA. and live in Northhampton County, an area known for its abundant natural environment. "In our small community, this is an entirely new way of doing business and we are among a handful of small businesses in the area who are demonstrating to others that people, planet, and profits aren't mutually exclusive," said Restein.

The necklaces made with real orchid blossoms are always a crowd favorite for Moonrise, specifically the Kona and Molakai necklaces (see right). Restein said that her favorites come from the Eco-Jewelry collection, including the Ely Necklace, Manila Earrings and Bengal Necklace (above).

Moonrise Jewelry's pieces were also shown at the Mercedes-Benz L.A. Fashion Week on October 15 in attempt to promote a greener lifestyle.

"Buy a necklace, save the rainforest", founder and owner of Lucina Eco-Friendly Jewelry Shauna Alexander Mohr says. Lucina is another fair-trade, eco-jewelry line that I really love, and was featured on a "Going Green" segment of the Today Show (Midnight Blue Tagua Silver Layer Bracelet, left).

Lucina is creatively and originally named after a Roman goddess. "Lucina" is the Roman goddess of childbirth, and Mohr was inspired to name her company after such a goddess because of the connotation and relation it had to the company's particular mission and jewelry pieces: "classic, feminine and inspiring," Mohr said. "Roman mythology is definitely classic, nothing is more feminine than childbirth...," she added.

Prior to creating eco-jewelry, Mohr was a fair-trade coffee buyer for ten years, working closely with people in environmentally sound regions of the world. After the birth of her daughter in 2004, Mohr had a desire to continue her work with the people in these regions, specifically focusing on the women. "Women make about 80% of handcrafted products in the world, so when you buy Fair Trade handcrafted products, you're supporting women and families. I thought if we could get these products to U.S. designers, they could combine these exquisite influences from around the world and create jewelry with a distinctly upscale and modern feel," Mohr said.

Some of the gemstones used by Lucina are bought from Women for Women International programs in Afghanistan. In addition to Women for Women International, Lucina is involved in other philanthropic organizations as well and donate a percentage of their sales to Hands to Hearts International and Women's Edge Coalition.

According to Mohr, Lucina likes using materials that have a positive impact on the environment, such as Taqua, or "vegetable ivory". The material "is one of our favorites because it is a rainforest nut, sustainably harvested, hand-carved and dyed by Fair Trade artisans in Ecuador. The gentle harvest of tagua literally keeps biologically diverse and critically imperiled tropical rainforests intact," said Mohr.

Whether you are out to save the rainforest or simply look green-chic, Moonrise Jewelry and Lucina can help you accomplish your goal.

Amy