The story behind a ring
I've been in love with crystals and stones from a young age. From collecting sand dollars, beach pebbles and sea glass on the beach to doing digs and digging up pieces of the past to now working with beautiful stones from around the world every stone has a story.
This ring was a part of my most recent launch and the golden rutilated quartz comes from Bahia, Brazil. Not only is this stone beautiful with the hematite creating a partial star of golden rutile within the clear quartz but it is sustainably sourced.
You can watch this quick video below to see some footage from Brian Cook's mine in Brazil.
The mining and jewelry industries have been a little slower to responsible sourcing than some other industries but people like Brian have been working to change this for years and leading the way for the rest of us. If we think about sustainability and responsibility as being about the people and the planet both we can all continue to do better.
"The vast majority of color gems are sourced from remote and poor communities sprinkled around the globe. Typically the producers are at the bottom of the receiving end. Our initiative takes action to shift this disparity while importantly investing in regenerative agriculture. A parallel sustainable economic activity for these extractive ASM communities. Teaching by example that investing in food security for future generations is a smart and environmentally sound way to prepare for a future when the mineral resource ends." -Brian Cook
If you want to learn more about sustainable mining and the Bahia Initiative:
https://youtu.be/1dBXfq7XFvM
http://naturesgeometry.com/home/
Bahia initiative
CIBJO responsible sourcing toolkit
Once I chose the stone for this ring from Brian's collection I got to work designing a simple but beautiful setting in gold to show off the stone. I added a few tiny post consumer diamonds and created a ring that can be worn and enjoyed for years.
Just like we think about small and big changes to create a world that is more eco-conscious and more balanced and sustainable jewelry designers like myself can always do better. I always thought recycled metals, keeping production local, responsible stone sourcing and working with suppliers I can trust were important but there is always more I can do and I thought sharing the story behind the stone in this ring would be interesting.
About rutilated quartz: Rutilated quartz is a stone that helps calm tempers and turn anger into acceptance. The rutile amplifies the energy of the quartz. It repels negativity of any kind. It helps bring harmony to relationships and marriage. It helps balance the physical and emotional body. Helps ease transition.
Please reach out or comment with any questions or thoughts.
