If you’ve seen the movie Blood Diamond, you know that the diamond trade is full of corruption and environmentally-hazardous practices. What you might not know is there is equally disastrous practices when it comes to harvesting gold and other gems.

This is a fairly new concept to me. I was looking to purchase a Mother’s ring (a great holiday or Mother’s Day gift, by the way!), when I came across Ingle & Rhode, an ethical jeweler recommended by both Vogue and Treehugger. My knowledge didn’t go far beyond the diamond-mining controversy, but after reading through the Ingle & Rhode website, I saw there is equally as much controversy surrounding gemstones and gold.

Jewelers around the world are adopting the practice of sourcing fair-trade jewelry, making sure they can determine exactly where the resources are mined from. Some are going as far to recycle platinum and gold, giving old jewelry new life.

Since the resources used in jewelry are often found in home decor items, it got me thinking that maybe there are options to make sure we utilize environmentally-friendly interior design products.

Gold is one of the most commonly used materials used in both jewelry and home accessories. Everything from gold-framed mirrors to candlesticks presents an opportunity to “go green.” For example, you can re-use gold home accessories, scouring flea markets and antique shops. For newer gold items, research where the materials come from before purchasing. There are plenty of fair-trade home decor options, some that give artists in developing countries the opportunity to sell their wares and get some visibility for their designs.

Why does all of this matter?

Here are just some of the environmental concerns:

• There is a risk of cyanide leaching into soil and groundwater when mining gold (gold can be chemically dissolved by cyanide). See more gold-mining environmental concerns here.
• Diamond-mining is destructive to land, causing concerns for returning the land to its original form in order to decrease the likelihood of soil degradation. See more diamond-mining environmental concerns here.
• There is also corruption and political unrest around diamond mining, especially in Africa where rebels use illegally exported diamonds to fund civil war. Learn more about conflict diamonds here.

So before you purchase gold, platinum or gemstones, either jewelry or home decor, make sure you know where the materials came from in order to preserve the environment and do your part in stopping political unrest.

Adria Saracino is the owner of Seattle fashion blog The Emerald Closet. You can find her tweeting about fashion @Emerald_Closet. Looking for more from Adria? Check out her personal website at www.adriasaracino.com.