Blog | April Journal: In Harmony with Mother Nature
It’s April! Spring is underway as seen by the crocuses popping up along the sidewalks of the city, and the cherry trees beginning to bloom in Central Park. It’s only fitting that this is the month where we celebrate Earth Day.
Love is in the Earth
Nature provides limitless inspiration. When we look at gold and gemstones in minimal designs we can see the majesty of nature’s extraordinary art. This Earth Day we’re celebrating our love of Mother Earth with the launch of our new collection of Toi et Moi (you and me) rings, created with traceable, mine-to-market gemstones and Fairmined gold.
A Royal Proposal
Toi et Moi rings were originally an expression of romantic partnership, first gaining popularity back in the 1700s, when Napoleon gifted his great love Josephine with a diamond and sapphire design. Ours are a modern version of this timeless two-stone design, using joyful color combinations with names inspired by the breathtaking wonders of the natural world.
Toi et Moi Rings by Chroma
While they’re stunning worn on their own, the collection, which features silhouettes that range from bold to petite, is easy to style. Try them in a chic stack or alongside other gold and diamond fashion rings for a bold jewelry statement. The original intention of this style of ring may have been romantic, but ours is a representation of the commitment to all types of love including friendship, self love and of course, love of the natural world.
“We loved the idea of launching our first Fairmined collection with a beloved, timeless silhouette, the Toi et Moi ring,” says Greenwich St. co-owner Jennifer Gandia. “These rings are known to symbolize love and partnership, which is what we want to highlight in G.St’s relationship with Mother Earth. By using ethically sourced, traceable gems and artisanal gold, we’re creating pieces that represent commitment. We chose stunning, natural gemstones like sapphire, spinel, tourmaline and garnet and paired them in color combinations that are reminiscent of nature’s most majestic creations: flowers, the ocean, the forests and even rock formations.
Sahara honors the vibrancy of the desert with a pairing of contrasting garnets. Celebes evokes the bright tropical sea off Indonesia and the Philippines with aquamarine and white sapphire, while Maldives summons the depths of the sea with gray spinel and white sapphire. Sabine celebrates the mysterious depths of the rainforest with green tourmaline and white sapphire. Bequia brings images of luscious florals found on the "Big Little Island" with pink and purple spinels.
Shop the entire collection here!
Sustainable Sparkle
We’re passionate about the beauty and majesty of the earth which is evident in every piece of jewelry we sell. That’s why we work so hard to ensure that our jewelry is created in a way that’s as ethical, and environmentally kind as possible.
As an independent, family-owned small business whose work is grounded in responsible sourcing, we wanted to let you know what that concept means to us. By working exclusively with vendors that prioritize low environmental impact, positive economic returns and the health and well-being of the people where materials are sourced our goal is to reduce harm and make a positive impact.
First and foremost, we’re committed to community. We partner with other small and independent artists and businesses that share our passion for ethics and sustainability. It’s important for us to know we’re uplifting other people who share G.St’s values, so we work hard to build connections that will enable us to do good.
What Goes Around, Comes Around
Making something new always has more of an environmental impact than finding creative uses for existing materials, and gold is no exception. We seek to use recycled and Fairmined gold, and are always seeking out innovative ways to incorporate recycled materials into our G.St designs.
When it comes to creating jewelry, sourcing recycled gold is the (relatively) easy part! That’s why we work so hard to build relationships with businesses who connect us directly with the miners and mining communities who source these stones, so we can make sure the pieces we create are grounded in giving back. By using recycled gold, we’re creating gorgeous new pieces that are kinder to Mother Earth.
Fairmined is an assurance certification company created to identify, support and certify artisanal and small-scale gold mining organizations. Once certified, miners must ensure continual compliance with the requirements of the Fairmined Standard.
In order to responsibly source colored gemstones, we’ve spent years connecting with mine to market vendors to ensure our gems are as traceable as possible, and doing good in the communities in which they are mined. We partner with vendors including, Anza, Roger Dery and Moyo Gems, who work hands-on with gem mining communities to ensure they’re working sustainably, safely, and ethically, helping to build generational knowledge in the villages where our gems are sourced.
Much of our in-house designed Chroma gemstone jewelry features gemstones sourced from these incredible organizations, making every purchase a chance to give back. Click here to explore the collection.
The Details are in the Diamonds
And don’t forget about diamonds! We source all the natural diamonds used in our collections in a manner that ensures the families who source them are fairly compensated, giving them a chance to build a better life. We’ve built an incredible network of sources for ethical African, Canadian, antique, and post-consumer (aka recycled) diamonds), so you can find the stone that matches your values.
Because some diamonds are sourced from Russia, the occupation of Ukraine has added a new ethical dimension to this issue. None of our diamond vendors source from Russia, and we’re committed to staying on top of all new information regarding this issue, pushing our peers in the industry to improve traceability whenever possible. Learn more about our responsible sourcing here.
We also make it easy for you to recycle gold by buying back unloved or unwanted jewelry, preventing it from entering the waste stream. In this season of change, it’s a great time to spring clean your jewelry box by selling or exchanging old pieces for something new.
You can learn more about using our purchasing and trading programs to update your collection here.
