Going green is a phrase we are all familiar with now. We all love the planet, so more of us are now carrying our reusable grocery bags; we’re saying no to bottled water and packing a thermal container instead; the term light bulb has been replaced with 3 easy letters – CFL - and those compact fluorescent lights are now all over our house; our favorite scrubbing bubbles have been tossed aside for white vinegar; our wardrobes now colorfully decorate the yard along eco-friendly clotheslines; and the hobby of recycling has suddenly become an office competition for who can collect the most plastic at their desk.

Planet love is sophisticated and smart, however, some green technologies - like keeping worm bins in your house for composting - are not exactly sexy.

But here’s something that is – organic jewelry.

Organic jewelry has been around since Native Americans began stringing simple seashells together for necklaces. Today, the most popular form of organic jewelry could be considered natural and freshwater pearls. Pearls are created from an irritation inside a living oyster’s shell, in both freshwater and saltwater environments. The irritation occurs when a foreign substance slips into the shell, as if the oyster is getting a splinter. The foreign substance is then covered with calcium carbonate, which many years later will be a beautiful pearl.

Pearls are a must-have for any woman, at any age, and can be worn with any outfit. But there are many other organic jewelry options out there. Jewelry created from shells and hemp plants, bamboo and hardwood, horn and bone, or amber and other natural stones are all organic.

Betsy Barron, a popular designer on the Delamina site, is known for using organic metals for many of the pieces from her jewelry collection, along with designs inspired from nature.

So whether you pick a pearl out of an oyster, or natural puka shells strung together with hemp on the streets of Waikiki, remember to enjoy your designer green and eco-friendly treasure. Saving the planet one necklace at a time.

Tags: Betsy Barron, Delamina, designer, Freshwater pearls, jewelry collection, necklaces, organic jewelry, organic metals

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 22nd, 2009 at 6:38 am and is filed under Cool Jewels & Hot Threads, Fashion & Style, Golden Rule: Recycling, Jewelry Designers. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.