ETHICAL WEDDING RINGS

The tradition of exchanging rings at your wedding goes back centuries and is steeped in history and folklore. The symbolism behind it is that the unbroken circle represents the unbroken love between a couple and symbolises the commitment of marriage or civil partnership.

Wedding ring styles have evolved over the years, though the traditional plain yellow gold wedding band is still a popular choice.  In the twenty-first century, there are countless options for brides and grooms and it’s easier than ever before to customise your wedding band and take control of the process.

Wedding rings made from ethically sourced materials are a big trend for ethically conscious couples and we are proud to offer ethical wedding rings, handmade to order, in our East London workshop.

What makes a wedding ring ethical?

When it comes to wedding rings (and all jewellery) there are a few things that make a ring ethical or not.  Obviously, to an extent, the term ethical is subjective. It means different things to different people, but there are a few areas on which there is some consensus when it comes to jewellery.

The issues with jewellery production start at the mine, where the materials that make jewellery come from.  Reducing the environmental damage that mining does, as well as protecting and empowering the people who work there, are the primary focuses. Genuine progress has been made with small scale gold mining in developing countries over the last 15 years or so. To learn more about ethical gold, click here.

There are also issues with jewellery manufacturing, particularly in mass-manufactured jewellery, and diamond and gemstone cutting, where working conditions and pay can be poor, similar to issues faced by sweatshop workers in the garment industry.

To help you make an informed decision about the materials your wedding ring is made out of, we implement a hierarchy of ethical metals in the production of all of our jewellery, which outlines which metals we think are the best and why.

Ethical gold wedding rings

The best option for buying an ethically sourced wedding ring is to get a ring made from either Fairtrade or Fairmined gold.  Gold from these sources can be made into any colour or carat of gold and into any type of ring.

There are many different styles of wedding rings and you can use a single metal, for instance gold, or a mixture of metals, like white gold and platinum, and you can choose from any number of widths, shapes, and gemstone settings.

Wedding band width

Most wedding rings will be at least 1.5mm in width and can go up to 10mm, though wider bands have been known.  Wide rings allow more space for things like engraving, however use more metal, so will cost more.

Shaped wedding bands

Often, in order for a wedding band to sit flush with an engagement ring, it will need to be shaped.  This is especially common when the central stone in an engagement ring is what is known as a fancy shape, for instance, and pear cut or marquise diamond.

Wedding band shape

There are various different shapes of wedding rings and the shape affects both the look and feel of the ring.  Though there are loads of shapes out there, there are a few that are most well known.

The ‘shape’ really refers to what we know as the profile, as almost all wedding rings are the same shape: round. Below are some of the most popular shapes for wedding rings.

Ethical wedding ring cost

Our ethical wedding rings start at £400 in 18ct gold.  The gold we use is either Fairmined or Fairtrade labelled and all of the rings are made in our own workshop and come with a British hallmark.  Engraving and diamond setting can be added to all of our rings at an additional cost and prices vary depending on the sizes and quality of the stones, as well as the amount and style of engraving.

The process of making a wedding band can take between 2-4 weeks depending on the design.

We can make wedding rings of any profile and width and the price goes up as the amount of metal increases.  Metal prices are subject to change and all quotes are valid for 24 hours.

Before you buy a wedding ring, we are happy to make you a sample from silver or brass so that you can get a feel for how the ring will look before committing.  Usually, these sample rings cost around £20 and this can be used against the cost of the final ring.

Ethical diamond wedding band 

Diamond wedding bands are more popular than ever, and you can get entirely ethical diamond wedding bands.  We use diamonds from Canada alongside ethically sourced precious metals from South America, Asia and Africa to create unique, made to measure diamond wedding bands. For more on ethical diamonds, click here.

Our diamond wedding bands start from £900 and can be engraved with dates and initials for an extra cost.

There are many different types of diamond shapes and setting styles, and we see it as our job to help guide you through the many options when it comes to diamond wedding rings.  We use computer-aided design (CAD) alongside traditional jewellery illustration techniques to bring ideas and designs to life.

Diamonds are a great choice for wedding rings because of their sparkle and durability.  Diamonds are the hardest natural material on earth, measuring 10 on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness.  This means they can stand up to the wear and tear that wedding rings receive, being worn almost all the time by most people.

Most of the diamonds used in wedding rings are round cut diamonds, though they don’t have to be.  Any shape can be used and combinations of different diamond cuts can work well together.

Baguette, princess cut, marquise, and oval-shaped diamonds are all great choices for wedding rings.

Ethical men’s wedding rings

Men looking for an ethical wedding ring option can also choose to have a ring made from either Fairtrade or Fairmined gold. Men’s rings are often a little wider and, generally, men will have a bigger finger size.

The styles for men’s wedding rings are varied and you can choose to incorporate engraving, gemstones, or even materials like wood. Ethical men’s wedding bands can also be set with diamonds or any other gemstone.

Wedding ring sizes

When you buy or order a wedding ring, you should measure your finger to check you get the right size. If you are ordering custom made ethical wedding bands, then you should try and leave enough time for the jeweller to re-size the ring if it arrives and does not quite fit.

Every ring fits slightly differently and a lot of this has to do with the width and depth of the ring.  If the ring is particularly wide or deep, you may need a larger size.

Recycled wedding rings

Though it may seem obvious that using recycled precious metals is good from a sustainability point of view, sadly this isn’t the case.  We have written in-depth about the issue of greenwashing and the miscommunication that surrounds recycled gold, as a sustainable option, is the single biggest greenwashing issue in the jewellery industry today.

In short, even if every jeweller in the world insisted on using only recycled gold, the overall amount of gold mined would not decrease. This is because there are other consumers of gold, such as electronics and central banks, that would buy freshly mined metal.  If the overall demand for gold dropped to a level below the level of gold that was already in circulation, then mining would cease.  However, the demand for gold outstrips the supply and always has.  Seeing as jewellery accounts for almost half of the demand for gold worldwide annually, the industry has a significant impact on that demand.  So while the level of demand for gold, supported in no small part by the jewellery industry remains high, mining will continue.

Sadly this doesn’t stop well-established brands, selling platforms and even world-renowned publications from perpetuating this myth.

Recycled rings already have a carbon footprint; the metal used in them was at some point mined from somewhere and it’s impossible to know where and under what conditions.  In addition, the melting and reforming process requires considerable heat and power.  

Metal mined by small scale artisanal miners who don’t use chemicals like mercury and who clean and regenerate landscapes scarred by previous large scale mining operations are far more environmentally friendly, not to mention they provide economic benefits for small mining communities.

Fairtrade wedding ring

Wedding rings made from Fairtrade gold have provided small mining communities with the support they need to develop, ensure minimal environmental damage, and safe working conditions at their mine.

The small scale artisanal mining industry employs an estimated 100 million people worldwide (across all commodities, not just gold) and often provides a living for people in areas where few other opportunities exist. This being said, mining can be a very dangerous activity and exploitation of small scale miners means that many small scale miners remain poor despite their hard work.

The Fairtrade Foundation has certified gold from specific mines since 2011 and these mines go through regular audits to ensure that the conditions set by the foundation are met.  

Unless the gold used to make a ring has come from one of these mines, then the description of a ring as ‘Fairtrade’ is pretty meaningless.  Without a defined set of standards that are independently verified ‘Fairtrade’ could mean anything and is entirely at the discretion of the person or company writing that description.