ethical engagement ring Archives - The Natural Wedding Company

Blog: ethical engagement ring

Charlie

Men’s ethical engagement rings: a guide for a leap year proposal or just doing it your way

Charlie

Are you considering a proposal for your male partner this year? Are you looking for men’s ethical engagement rings?

Well it’s a leap year and so the tradition goes this is the year that women can propose. My opinion is that it doesn’t need to be a leap year to propose to your partner, whether male or female. What has been interesting though is seeing options for men’s ethical engagement rings popping up on my Instagram feed.

I thought I’d invite the ethical wedding jewellers that I work with to share what they have in the way of men’s ethical engagement rings. Some of them have also shared their thoughts and tips if you are selecting an engagement ring for a man, or are perhaps looking for a more neutral and less ‘feminine’ engagement ring design.

My top tips for men’s ethical engagement rings

Firstly, I don’t think you should be restricted by a leap year for women to propose to men. It should be something women feel free to do at any time.

Secondly, for some people engagement rings may have negative connotations of a woman being passed from ownership of one man (her father) to another (her husband). So take a moment – do you even want engagement rings? What ways are there to get ‘engaged’ without exchanging or gifting a ring if that doesn’t feel right for you?

But if you do…

Don’t be restricted by what you think an engagement ring should be!
If your partner prefers a plain band or a real statement piece, why not just have the one ring, you don’t need to have an “engagement ring” and a wedding ring. (I only had one ring – the one my husband Nick proposed with – for our wedding exchange of rings. I do now have a wedding band, but this was gifted at a later stage in our relationship, and a number of years after being married.)
That said, let’s remember the environmental impact of yet more “things”. Just because you are buying ethical rings it doesn’t need to be an excuse to buy more. If one ring suits you, great choice.
But if it is something you feel called to, then there are all kinds of ways to do this using ethically sourced precious metals and gems. So get inspired by some of our ethical wedding jewellers…

This blog feature was inspired by an Instagram post by TNWC Recommended Supplier Jacqueline & Edward.

Bespoke men's engagement ring with rock fissure

Natural men's engagement ring with black diamonds

Charlie

Hunt for gold for your ethical wedding rings in the beautiful hills of Scotland

Charlie

Unique gold panning experience for couples

Today we are joined by Mark from Jacqueline & Edward – one of our TNWC Recommended Suppliers – who is sharing about their unique gold panning experience for couples. It looks as incredible as it sounds! An opportunity to go as a couple to a beautiful Scottish river with Mark (and perhaps his dog Ronnie!) and pan for river gold that can be incorporated into your wedding rings? Yes please!

As well as sharing details about this unique opportunity to hunt for gold for your wedding rings in the hills of Scotland, at the bottom you’ll find a link to watch Mark take TV Celeb Phil Spencer gold panning.

Jacqueline & Edward is a Recommended Supplier of The Natural Wedding Company directory. Find out more about them here.

Making Memories Panning for Gold

I’m addicted to finding gold. I love everything about it. It represents some of the best moments in my life and I love that we can share that with others. Panning your own gold creates unique and meaningful memories which will stay with someone forever. Being able to capture this memory by melting your gold into our work, whether that be an engagement ring, wedding band or other piece of jewellery, well, that’s priceless and timeless.

What makes gold panning so special?

Imagine the stresses and strains of modern life falling away behind you as you escape to the peace and serenity of the mountains and rivers, off the beaten track. It’s this peace and solitude that I love about gold panning. It’s escaping from the humdrum of modern life to find one of nature’s hidden treasures – gold, whilst immersing yourself in some of the most beautiful places in the UK and beyond.

The ebb and flow of rivers promise access to places rarely seen by most, apart from a small band of hardy characters sporting weathered faces, bushy beards and a wild glimmer in their eyes. Whether I’m on my own or with clients wanting to experience the art of gold panning, the rewards are a’plenty. They are the connection with nature, the remoteness, the separation from normality, the honest hard work, the flora and fauna, the landscape and of course the searching. There really is nothing like the hunt and when you find it, the only thing which surpasses the hunt, is the gold.

Gold panning offers a truly unique and rewarding experience. It allows you to connect with nature and it’s the serenity of the natural surroundings, combined with the anticipation of finding gold my trips create a sense of adventure and tranquillity that few hobbies can match.

Charlie

Save money on your ethical wedding rings from Jacqueline & Edward

Charlie

Many of us are feeling the pinch of costs in our daily lives, and planning a wedding is no different. So how you begin to save money without compromising your ethics and quality?

TNWC Recommended Supplier Jaqueline & Edward create ethical wedding rings using natural river gold from the wilderness of Scotland – so romantic! (Adventurous couples can even pan for it themselves). They’ve put together some tips for how you can reduce the cost of their wedding and engagement rings.

Jacqueline & Edward is a TNWC Recommended Supplier of The Natural Wedding Company directory. Find out more about them here.

The best ways to reduce the cost of your Jacqueline & Edward wedding and engagement rings

It’s a common misconception that buying an engagement or wedding ring on a budget means you can’t buy sustainably and ethically.

So, how do you reduce the cost of your engagement ring without compromising on quality and your ethical standards, and how can you save money on your wedding rings and still get a ring you love?

If you are hoping to buy an engagement ring whilst faced with the increasing pressures of the cost of living crisis, and you would prefer not to spend significant sums on ethical jewellery, we have some ideas which might help make these choices easier:

Charlie

5 reasons you should buy a recycled gold wedding ring

Charlie

Recycled gold wedding ring - coloured gem ethical engagement rings // Lilia Nash Jewellery

Have you heard of a recycled gold wedding ring? I knew that recycled gold was an option for wedding and engagement rings, but I didn’t really know why you might choose recycled gold, over fair trade gold. We recently met with Lilia Nash Jewellery in the Cotswolds to find out more, plus details on how you can get an exclusive 10% discount below.

A few months ago I had the pleasure of visiting Lilia Nash Jewellery’s workshop and boutique shop in the Cotswolds. It is the perfect place to go and view Lilia’s beautiful engagement and wedding ring designs, and to meet the talented designer who crafts them.

Recycled gold wedding ring - Cotswold jewellery boutique // Lilia Nash Jewellery

Lilia Nash Jewellery uses recycled gold for their wedding rings

Lilia Nash Jewellery is a long standing eco wedding supplier on The Natural Wedding Company directory, so I am familiar with Lilia’s timeless designs and her exquisite use of coloured gemstones. What I was interested to hear more about, when talking with Lilia and her partner Steve, was her passion for using recycled gold.

I have to admit, my first thoughts about a recycled gold wedding ring didn’t conjure up the most romantic image. Certainly not what you would immediately image for your wedding or engagement ring. But on talking with Lilia and Steve I found out exactly why you would choose a recycled gold wedding ring.

Top 5 reasons you should buy a recycled gold wedding ring

So here’s Lilia Nash Jewellery’s top 5 reasons why you should choose a recycled gold wedding ring:

Recycled gold wedding ring - his and hers wedding rings // Lilia Nash Jewellery

Samantha

Ethical wedding jewellery made with soul from Shakti Ellenwood

Samantha

Today we have the next instalment in our Meet the Maker series – getting to know more about the face behind Shakti Ellenwood the creator of ethical wedding jewellery made with soul.

Shakti is one of the incredible ethical wedding jewellery designers from our directory. She specialises in exquisite fair trade wedding and engagement rings with proper heart and soul. Based in her studio in Somerset, all of her jewellery is handcrafted and receives a special ‘blessing’. She is truly passionate about her craft and her route to designing jewellery is truly a fascinating one.

Intrigued now? Well we asked her some questions for you so you can find out more…

Ethical wedding jewellery rich in ritual and romance

Hi Shakti, welcome to the Meet the Maker series thank you for taking part. We’d love to know the back story behind your business, how did it start out?

Well, it all began back in India in 1994. I was living between Japan, Thailand and India and during a visit to Pune I became very sick with a high fever. I was living in the infamous ‘White House’ guest house and a concerned fellow traveller and resident, Asi, took me in and kept watch over me. He was a jeweller and sat at a small work bench, on the floor, hammering, soldering and sawing.

I became captivated by the intricacy of the work and the beauty of the high karat gold and gemstones he worked with. When I had recovered, he presented me with the most beautiful gold and turquoise ring…I was hooked! I knew with all certainty that this was what I was meant to be doing.

From there I followed a boyfriend to San Francisco and by an act of serendipity I got a job at The Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts, where I trained in the Graduate Jeweller program over the next five years. Later training with 5th Generation Armenian Master Goldsmith, Hratch Nargizian, a man of extraordinary skill and talent, who remains my mentor to this day.

Such a wonderful fascinating story! The story isn’t the only thing fascinating about your business, you describe your rings as being “rich in ritual and romance”, could you tell us more about this and what that means to you?

I sat with the Huni Quin tribe, who live in the depths of the Amazon Rainforest. They instilled in me the importance of ritual in all that you do. How all things must be created with a conscious awareness and with respect to the materials you are using, where they have come from and where they are going. To the Huni Quin all of life is prayer whether they are hunting, cooking or singing. I have described in more depth the details of how this is incorporated into my work in the question on ‘little gold prayers’.

Every ring is rich in romance from the inside out, a symbol of love a commitment. This romance is created by the ancient love songs I sing as I work, by the artisanal aspect of how they are made, the prayers bestowed upon them and ultimately to the dignity given to the miners who pull this precious metal out of the earth. Visually, this romance can be see through the delicacy of the work, the ‘secret’ hearts which are carved into the back of the engagement rings, the star settings and the milligrain edging often seen in my jewellery.

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