Why Ethical Engagement Rings Are Less Expensive

Living a sustainable and ethical lifestyle requires time, patience, research, and oftentimes money. Generally, the “cheap” option is not the ethical option. When it comes to finding an ethical engagement ring, you can confidently purchase a ring you love while knowing it didn't harm the environment or humanity, and the best part? You'll get more for your money when purchasing lab grown diamonds and gemstones. Here are some reasons why buying ethical engagement rings can save you money.

Consider a Lab Grown Diamond for your ethical engagement ring. Diamonds grown in a lab are produced without any of the conflict associated with pulling diamonds from the earth AND are up to 40% less in price. Because of how much cheaper they are in comparison to mined diamonds, you can usually get a larger stone with a higher color/clarity than what you could have afforded with a mined diamond from a traditional jewelry store.

There is a misconception that lab grown diamonds are more affordable because they are not real. That is absolutely false. Lab grown diamonds are 100% identical to their earth minded counterparts. The difference in price is based on the supply chain. A lab grown diamond goes from the lab to the casting house, to the consumer while an earth mined diamond can change hands 20 times and travel to multiple countries before it ever reaches the end consumer. Each person in the supply chain is making a profit which bumps up the price at retail. The lab grown diamond process is much more transparent and direct, which makes them the more ethical and affordable option.

Heirloom, estate, or pre-owned diamonds offer another less expensive and ethical alternative to a newly mined diamond. You can get a diamond with an interesting shape or cut, and depending on the age and quality of the stone these can be sold at around a quarter of the cost of a newly mined diamond. Something to keep in mind with this option is that the quality may not be as high since older diamonds tend to be brittle and show more yellow with lower quality cut grades, but you can rest easy knowing the pre-owned diamond does not contribute to the continued mining of diamonds and is available at a great value.

While it might seem crazy to some, many jewelers are starting to offer an online shopping experience that rivals shopping in-store. You can save yourself time and money by shopping for your perfect ethical engagement ring online - this allows you to do the research and review all the company’s policies to ensure they stand behind their sustainability claims, versus relying on what the salesperson in a traditional jewelry store tells you. Online stores also do not have the same costs that a traditional brick and mortar jewelry store has, so you can find a reasonably priced item without the high mark ups.

When shopping online, it’s important to ask about a company’s additional fees. Look for a company that offers free domestic shipping, resizing and has a return policy. Since you aren’t seeing the product in person prior to purchasing, it’s important to make sure there are safeguards should it not meet your expectations.

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