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  To us, ethical sourcing means that every person that touched your ring was treated with dignity, and paid a fair wage. It's no secret that the jewelry industry has a dark history of human rights, environmental, and labor abuses. We feel we have a professional duty to understand where our materials are coming from, to educate our clients about design choices that uphold these values, and to push our industry to have more integrity and transparency by voting with our dollars (and yours by extension!).     Enjoy 5% off your first order & be the first to know about new collections, exclusive offers & more!     Why  we go beyond "conflict free" certifications... We go beyond sourcing stones that are "conflict free" because we view the certification as problematic in several ways. First of all, it excludes small family mining and refining businesses that are unable to afford the certification, but who are producing excellent products by putting their money into paying their employees and ensuring safe conditions rather than paying the costly fee for certification (if you are familiar with the challenges of "organic farming" certifications in the US, this is a similar phenomenon). Second, the "conflict-free" certification only means that company has had to prove that profits have not gone to fund civil war activities in certain conflict regions---it does not ensure safe working conditions, fair wages, or safe and sustainable environmental practices. Another growing concern are the labor abuses that take place in large stone cutting factories worldwide, which conflict free certifications do not regulate. How we ensure our sourcing matches our values... To mitigate these concerns, we work primarily with certified Fairmined gold, known origin gemstones and stones and metals upcycled from our clients’ heirloom jewelry. Because we believe brands have an ethical responsibility to advance the global mining industry, we proactively forge personal relationships with miners, stonecutters, and refiners. You can trust your new jewelry was made with integrity, intension, and transparent practices. When possible, we try to source stones mined in the United States. Did you know that Vermont has blood red and deep orange garnets? Montana has large deposits of amethyst and sapphire? Maine has beautiful green and pink/peach tourmaline, amethyst, aquamarine, and morganite? To make our pieces extra special, we love to source stones from regions that have meaning to our clients! Lab grown stones... Lab-grown diamonds are chemically identical to natural diamonds, but they are more affordable and can even be of higher quality than natural diamonds in terms of hardness and calibration. However, the downside to lab-grown diamonds is that the source is usually unknown, especially now that most US-based lab-grown diamond factories have closed. This means that we can’t always verify where the diamond came from or what conditions are like in the factory. Also, lab-grown diamonds also tend to be shipped all over the world before reaching the client, which has negative environmental implications. Overall, we view lab-grown diamonds as less ethical or transparent than artisanally mined natural diamonds with known-origin. Learn more about the ethical of diamonds in these Blog posts:  -Where Do Your Diamonds Come From?  -All About Lab-Grown Diamonds     Enjoy 5% off your first order & be the first to know about new collections, exclusive offers & more!  

After the billet* is made, the next step of making mokume gane is creating the pattern. One way this is achieved is by twisting the all the layers of different metals. After that we hammer out the twisted billet and form it into the ring shank. After fitting the liner to the ring, forming the profile and completing the initial finishing work (smoothing out the surface of the metal) it's on to etching!   Enjoy 5% off your first order & be the first to know about new collections, exclusive offers & more!     For etching we place the ring in acid to dissolve some of the layers while leaving others untouched. Through this process the silver layers are put in relief against the untouched gold layers, creating contrast and definition between the layers. This highlights the beautiful woodgrain texture and brings out the complexity of the mokume gane pattern.   You can find three different examples of the levels of etching (even no etching!) we can do on mokume gane rings below.   *Billet = bar of metal that is made from a stack of metal layers, in mokume the layers are alternating metals so that they bond together. These bonds are called eutectic bonds.   Mokume Gane No Etch Example:     Mokume Gane Light Etch Example:   Mokume Gane Medium Etch Example: Mokume Gane Heavy Etch Example: No matter your preference we are happy to create your dream ring!   Enjoy 5% off your first order & be the first to know about new collections, exclusive offers & more!    

Buying your ring is a HUGE decision! There are so many different designs to choose from. Each one with a different stone type, cut, color, and shape. It can definitely get overwhelming when there are so many options. Enjoy 5% off your first order & be the first to know about new collections, exclusive offers & more!   But have no fear! We are here to help you pick out the stone that is PERFECT for you! Style, budget, and environmental impact are some of the best ways to assess which stone is right for you. So here are some of our favorite white stones to work with:       Diamonds The fan-favorite! Did you know the first diamond engagement ring in recorded history was given by Archduke Maximillian of Austria to Mary of Burgundy  In 1477? We love diamonds for so many reasons!   Here are some advantages of diamonds: It is the hardest substance on earth. With a hardness of 10 these stones set the scale. It won't scratch (unless it comes head to head with another diamond!). We can source ethically, transparently mined diamonds! This means that you can rest easy knowing that the diamond didn’t contribute to human rights abuses, and actually created a direct positive impact for miners. We think that artisanally mined, transparently sourced diamonds are the most eco-friendly option when sourcing a stone! You can guarantee a positive impact (rather than a negative or neutral impact) by purchasing a transparently sourced, artisanally mined diamond coming from a vetted ethical initiative like Root Diamond or Ethos Diamonds. Diamonds can also be reclaimed! Old jewelry can be recovered from family or other sources, and the stones can be repurposed into modern heirloom pieces. Though you won’t be able to verify the conditions present at the time of original mining, the stone’s reuse will not contribute to any additional negative impact.  Learn more about diamonds in this article: Where do your diamonds come from?    Some downsides of diamonds are: They can be very expensive. With popularity comes a cost - and the diamond industry is vast and huge. It can be hard to understand which diamond source is the most ethical. Though it may seem like lab-grown or recycled stones are the best option, they actually only contribute to neutral or negative impact. The only way to create a positive impact is by sourcing a diamond from an artisanal, transparent diamond sourcing initiative. That's really it! Many of the downsides to buying diamonds in the past in regarding supporting the blood diamond trade and conflict overseas are not things we deal with. We only source diamonds from individuals and suppliers with whom we have had long-standing relationships as we seek to achieve the highest ethical standards in the industry.       White Sapphires We love white sapphires! Nearly identical to diamonds and easy to source these are a great choice for a stone. Because they are super budget friendly you can get a much larger stone for your budget if that's your dream!   Why we love white sapphires: We can get both natural and lab-grown options. Same as diamonds the lab-grown option is less expensive. It is almost as tough as a diamond! With a hardness of 9 it's super durable and ready for all of the adventures you will go on! Some things to consider about white sapphires: They don't have the same sparkle as diamonds. This is also called "fire" or "brilliance" - if you want your stone to really sparkle and shine then a white sapphire isn't the best choice for you.       Moissanite We are falling more in love with this sparkly stone every day! The first sample of this stone was discovered in a meteor crater - how cool is that? This space stone is now lab-grown and is a great alternative to diamonds!   Some great things about moissanite: They are super budget-friendly! They are a fraction of the cost of diamonds and are similar in cost to white sapphires. They are extra tough with a hardness of 9.25 and are great for everyday wear. Crazily enough they have more sparkle than a diamond! How amazing is that?  Some things you might not love about moissanite: Moissanite is not as colorless as a diamond can be. However, this is only really noticeable in large stones. Because they are all lab-grown we can't often can't source them recycled. Growing stones in a lab still has a heavy environmental impact because of the large amount of energy it takes to create the stone. One thing jewelers often neglect to mention is that these stones will get cloudy over time and can lose their luster if not taken care of. This can be prevented and taken care of by keeping your ring clean! Check out this blog for lots of helpful jewelry cleaning tips.       Goshenite Surprise! If you have heard of this stone you get bonus points! Also known as colorless beryl this stone is in the same family as emerald and morganite. It is found in New England and is quickly becoming our favorite white stone. Also fun fact the first eyeglasses lenses were made out of this stone!   The things we LOVE about goshenite: It's the least expensive option from this list. We make rings to be worn by everybody and if there is a ring that is out of your budget swapping the stone for a goshenite make it the perfect choice for you. It is locally sourced. When we can't source a vintage stone our preference is always to source from other small family-owned businesses. We can trace exactly where a goshenite stone was sourced from and have close relationships with the miners and cutters themselves. It is durable and great for everyday wear with a hardness of 8.   Some things we don't love: As we have mentioned before, we haven't been able to source vintage goshenite stones yet, but we are hoping to in the future! It does not have the same sparkle as diamonds or moissanite. While it has amazing clarity this can make it more suitable for non-traditional cuts. But our amazing stonecutters can cut whatever stone you choose in any shape you like.        Congratulations!  You made it to the end of today's gemstone class! Remember picking a stone is all about YOU we are here to offer advice and support you in any way we can. Feel free to email us with any questions you have and stay tuned for more gemstone posts soon!                                                                                                                                                  Enjoy 5% off your first order & be the first to know about new collections, exclusive offers & more!