Keep in mind there are ample jewelry options available that don't even use metals, such as amber, wood, horn, stone, and bamboo.

Knowledge of materials that may be derived from endangered species is also valuable to avoid those life forms that are currently threatened (such as elephant ivory, Brazilian rosewood, mahogany, etc.).

I am an artist who creates jewelry featuring reclaimed, vintage or found materials thereby reducing the amount of virgin materials required to produce most beautiful jewelry. There are a lot of other artists out there who also do this, and because it re-uses materials they are all very unique.

Check out the eco-friendly jewelry made of grass. It is hand crafted by the Maasai women of Kenya. This stylish jewelry provides work opportunity for the Maasai.

I've gotten beautiful silver jewelry from Maize Hutton - who uses recycled silver leftover from film processing. Her work can be found at http://www.maizehutton.com and http://www.mommytags.com

Although it seems morbid, you may want to specify in your will and/or let others know that you don't want to be buried with your jewlry. This actually drives a significant demand for diamonds which don't represent capitalism's finest hour either.

Also, I'd quibble a bit with the 'buy recycled' suggestion. It's the overall demand in the indusry that drives mining since recycled gold has always been used. Heirloom jewlry is best, but the next best thing is to buy less, not the same amount of a recycled metal. Since most people want some bling, I suggest making a concerted effort to buy just a few nice pieces that will last a lifetime and you can give to someone else as opposed to having something to match every dress.

One more thought (on diamonds not metal): As Holly Golightly said "I think it would be tacky to wear diamonds before I'm 40" Agreed. And maybe after then.

PS John McGiver's is my favorite character in the whole movie (1:20 in).

As Denise suggests, there are many small scale independent designers who use vintage or recycled materials, not necessarily precious metals either which makes it more interesting. As they are often run by just one artisan, buying from a small business will also ensure that you are not buying sweatshop goods. And I'd agree with Angrytoxicologist's suggestion of buying less but buying quality too!

Great post!

If the economics don't work, recycling efforts won't either.
As our little contribution to make this economics of recycling more appealing, http://LivePaths.com blogs about people and companies that make money selling recycled or reused items, provide green services or help us reduce our dependency on non renewable resources.

Are there any dangers to gold plated jewelry made in China?
How can I find out if more expensive jewelry is "safe"?

I am part of a 3-person roadtrip traveling to all 50 United States in a single year exploring American sustainability (or lack thereof). We just came through Idaho and learned that there is a Canadian mining company that is trying to mine for gold in exactly the way you described - microscopically, with cyanide - of a mountaintop in Atlanta, Idaho that is at the headwaters of the Boise River - where tens of thousands of people get their water. There is a thorough article at http://www.flyfisherman.com/rmwest/jpboise/

Development has been temporarily stalled by citizen uprising - the Boise River had been cleaned up significantly over the years and is finally at the point where it is considered one of the cleanest rivers in Idaho and is safe for fishing, swimming, bathing and drinking. If this mining operation does go forward, what chance does the river have of not being polluted? Not much. We are pulling hard for the river. I have a gold and silver wedding ring and silver hoop earrings that I wear everyday. Right now I feel ashamed of them and wonder if I shouldn't stop wearing jewelry altogether, just to stop promoting the need to adorn? So, it is totally hypocritical for me to write this but If we can stop wanting what we don't need we might have a chance of keeping what we absolutely DO need - clean air, water, and soil to grow our food.
Thank you for the article!
julie (www.YERT.com)

I got my wife's engagment ring at www.greenkarat.com They use recycled metals, and lab produced diamonds; at check out you can pay a little extra to offset the carbon dioxide emission from the production of the diamond.

There are a whole lot of designers on etsy - www.etsy.com - who use recycled materials. I recently bought cufflinks made of old typewriter keys.

Lucina is the name of another small jewelry company working with eco-friendly components http://www.lucinajewelry.com . It's gorgeous, with TAGUA, a sustainably harvested rainforest nut from Ecuador. They use a lot of Fair Trade components too, like their silver beads and chains are Fair Trade from Bali.
Just want to get the word out about the companies that are trying to do something good, something different.

Wow, thanks for all the great suggestions guys! I'll have to do a follow-up post with all of your ideas and tips. Good work!

I am the designer/maker/owner of Utopian Creations - sustainable jewelry. My jewelry is 99-100% recycled, 100% recyclable and vegan.
Utopian Creations produces eco-friendly jewelry, but also follows sustainable practices throughout the whole business. From green energy to the handmade jewelry box's and organic cotton/bamboo/soy silk pouches, every facet of my work is aimed at sustainability and lowering or eliminating harmful chemical usage.
I have developed many sustainable manufacturing methods and products enabling me to produce precious metal jewelry in a people, planet and animal friendly way. To facilitate the uptake of sustainable production methods I will be offering many of the manufacturing products for sale in the new year.
Further information on sustainable design can be found at www.o2.org
If you are looking for products that are environmentally friendly be wary of companies selling fair trade as this has very little to do with 'being green' and more to do with workers rights (an equally important subject which is included in sustainability ideals). Unfortunately the word 'eco' has been caught up in this green washing hence my decision to align myself with sustainable rather than eco products. If you are worried about the origins of a product or material email the seller and ask.
I have years of research behind me so if anybody would like further information about eco-products please email me via my web site www.utopiancreations.com.au and Ill do my best to answer.
Love this blog keep up the great comments!

Eco friendly jewelry can be made by only using materials that are found in plentiful amounts in nature. That is what all the products that we sell are composed of.

Like others that have already commented in this thread, I am an independent jewelry designer that uses recycled, reused, reclaimed and vintage items to make jewelry in an effort to offset my use of precious metals in my creations. I struggle all the time with the environmental effects of mining and my use of any new precious metals. Thank you for a very eye opening and informative article. I will be looking for more natural materials to use in my work in the future to further minimize my impact on the environment.r8b8r

May I suggest www.ecoartisticproducts.com

They offer unique handcrafted wood jewelry, with lovely natural colors and a silky smooth finish.

The woods are found on the grounds of the tropical rainforests (all fallen woods, no trees are ever cut). These are rare and prized woods, many of them in their way of extinction such as Rosewood, Purpleheart wood, Fustic wood, Cedar..

Jewelry is sold wholesale, but they also offer other lovely retail wood gifts.

Have you heard of Todd Reed? He uses raw diamonds from conflict-free zones in Australia..and recycled gold. In his rose cut series all the diamonds are recycled as well. His jewelry is STUNNING and it comes with peace of mind. I found him on alteredspacegallery.com. If you haven't already, you should check him out.