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Category Archives: Eco-Friendly

The Wedding Band ~ some interesting options for men

21 Sunday Jul 2013

Posted by Loretta Jaunzarins in Eco-Friendly, For the Man in Your Life, Wedding Jewelry

≈ Leave a comment

A couple of months ago, one of my readers asked if I could write a post about wedding bands and options for men. To my surprise there are a ton of options for men! So here goes!

Wedding rings have become an almost universal symbol for marriage. And like so many things when it comes to men, they can be rather dull. Most men’s rings are a simple gold band, while we girls can have a plain band or a diamond band, or a sapphire or a ruby or a . . . . . . . . . . .

weddingpicturesweddingphotos.blogspot.com

Photo Source ~ weddingpicturesweddingphotos.blogspot.com

Men’s wedding bands are actually a new tradition. Sad to say but it really is just a marketing ploy.  Women seem to have been wearing rings since time began, be it an engagement ring or a ring given during the ceremony. They say that it began as a rope tied around a woman’s finger to remind her that she was the hostage of the man who had kidnapped her. Some say the Egyptians invented the modern concept of the wedding ring.  However, until recently, it has always only been women who have worn wedding bands.

The main reason why men never wore wedding rings was because they didn’t have to. Look at societal titles. All men are a ‘Mr’ but women are ‘Miss’ or ‘Mrs’ (now Ms as well). ‘Miss’ is an unmarried young woman while ‘Mrs’ is married or widowed. It was always most important to know who owned who or what (and yes, women were considered a piece of property like anything else a man owned). If you were an unmarried woman, you were “owned” by your father, and therefore free to be pursued for marriage. However, if you wore a ring everyone knew you were married and “owned” by your husband and therefore not available to court. No one ever needed to know if a man was married or not for it did not affect his social status.

A 7th century wedding ring from the Byzantine (modern day Turkey) Empire showing Jesus and the bridal couple. Souce: www.wikipedia.org

A 7th century wedding ring from the Byzantine (modern day Turkey) Empire showing Jesus and the bridal couple. Photo Source ~ wikipedia.org

So what should one do if you want something besides the traditional gold band? (Personally I’m not a fan of men’s jewelry. Not because I don’t like men wearing jewelry, but because it’s all so overly masculine looking.)

Let’s take a look at what some of the options are for wedding bands mainly for men but also for women.

Yellow gold is the most common material used for the band. Interesting to know that gold comes in many colours. Below is a band made out of pink gold which looks a bit like copper:

Pink gold with square cut diamond www.mazaldiamond.com

Pink gold with square cut diamond. Photo source ~ mazaldiamond.com

Here is a white gold band which looks like silver or platinum:

gold-jewellery-album.blogspot.com

Photo source ~ album.blogspot.com

Green gold, which is yellow gold that has been mixed with other metals:

Green gold looks yellow with a slight green tint http://www.whiteflash.com/

Green gold looks yellow with a slight green tint. Photo Source ~ whiteflash.com/

Black gold, like green gold, is gold with other elements added to it:

10k Black gold www.ebay.com

10k Black gold. Photo Source ~ ebay.com

There is also blue, purple, grey, and red gold.

Gold is a good choice because it doesn’t tarnish. Gold usually has other metals like copper added to it to give it more strength as it is a very soft metal. The carat number (symbol is K or KT) stamped on the band tells you the purity of the gold. Unlike gems, where their carat is by weight and can go on until eternity in number, gold is by purity and only goes to 24 carats. 24 carats is pure gold and is very bright but soft. While in many parts of the world 24 carat gold jewelry is standard, in North America most everyday jewelry would be 10, 14 or 18 carat gold.  24 carat gold is fine for a dinner ring, but not something that you would wear digging in the garden!

Below I show how the purity content of yellow gold effects the colour:

10k www.wayfair.com 14 k www.davidweinbergcollection.com  20 k danielgibbingsjewelry.com  24k eragem.com

Photo Source ~ 10k wayfair.com; 14 k davidweinbergcollection.com;
20 k danielgibbingsjewelry.com; 24k eragem.com

As I write this post gold is selling at just over $1,200.00 an ounce. This results in a high cost for gold jewelry. If a gold ring is not in your budget consider another metal like sterling silver.

In ancient times, and even up to a few hundred years ago, silver was more valued then gold. Sterling Silver in 92.5% silver, the remainder is copper. The real thing will be stamped with the number 925 in the same fashion that a gold ring will have 10k or 18k for its gold content. Sterling Silver is harder then pure silver and silver itself is harder than gold. In the U.S. only silver that is 90% silver (stamp 900) can be called silver. There is also Britannia silver, which is 95.8%, but this is used more for tableware and since it is more pure, is more prone to tarnish. Sterling silver is sometimes plated with very fine silver to give it a shine. It can also be plated with Rhodium or gold.

www.privatebullion.com www.turtleislandgallery.com wynserve.com -www.jmbullion.com

It’s good to know that while silver rings can be re-sized (but usually not more than once) much will depend on the ring. Jewelers tend to hesitate in re-sizing a ring with diamonds as the heating process can cause the diamonds to pop out.

A sterling silver ring with diamonds would be difficult to resize because the heating process could cause the diamonds to pop out. Photo Source ~ ebay.com

A sterling silver ring with diamonds would be difficult to re-size because the heating process could cause the diamonds to pop out. Photo Source ~ ebay.com

Another option is a silver-gold alloy, the most common one being Electrum.

Electrum has been valued in the Mediterranean since the beginning of human appreciation of metals. It was valued by the Egyptians, the Hittites, and the Greeks. It is a natural occurring mixture of silver and gold and because it is naturally occurring it can contain 90% gold to a 45-55 split. Sometimes it has copper or other trace elements which will of course give it a different colour.  Because of the silver content it is stronger than gold, but because of the gold, there is no tarnish. It has been called white gold and green gold, but unlike those metals which get their colour from gold being mixed with copper or some other element, electrum is a silver and gold mix with only the slightest traces of other elements.

http://www.worthpoint.com

Electrum is a natural occuring mix of gold and silver. Photo source ~ worthpoint.com

Below are some interesting metal options for men’s rings which would make for a very distinct ring.

Tumbaga is a Spanish name for a gold and copper alloy from South America. These distinct rings are not readily available so you would have to consult with a jeweler to have one custom made or find one from a designer on Etsy.

http://www.verygarcia.co.uk/

A ring made from tumbaga. Photo source ~ verygarcia.co.uk

Shibuichi, which means ‘one fourth’, is a Japanese alloy of silver, copper with a hint gold. Custom rings are unique in that they embrace imperfections compared to mass produced jewelry. Below a women’s ring (photo source ~ tumbler.com); bottom left a men’s ring from Stones Throw Studio; on right, rings from designer Daniel Icaza.

My Pictures15

Another material you may want to consider is Platinum. Platinum looks like silver or white gold. Like gold, Platinum is sometimes mixed with other alloys, so check that when you are looking into it. For a ring you want the other alloys to be a either cobalt or ruthenium which will make it harder and less likely to get warped from wear. Platinum is heavier then gold so you may want to take your man with you when choosing and see what is comfortable on his hand. Platinum can be twice as expensive as 18k gold, however, it is longer lasting and since it is worth more, can be more of an investment.

Men's platimun rings. Photo source ~ left groomsguidefor wedding.com and right, custommade.com

Men’s platimun rings. Photo source ~ left, groomsguideforwedding.com and right, custommade.com

If you like Platinum, but don’t have a load of cash, check out rings made of Palladium.

http://www.gemvara.com/

Men’s knotted ring made of Palladium. Photo source ~ gemvara.com.

Palladium does not tarnish and unlike gold it is hypoallergenic. Platinum can cost over $1300 an ounce, while palladium is around $300.  

Now-a-days even metals that are not considered “precious” are being used for jewelry.

Tungsten. Every time I hear this metal I say in my head, “I need Tungsten to live. . . TUNGSTEN!”  Ah, The Simpsons . . . how you have ruined me!

http://stevenericson.net/

Tungsten ring. Photo source ~ stevenericson.net

Tungsten is very hard and therefore very durable. This may be a good idea for a man who has a dirty job, or who works with his hands a lot. An FYI, tungsten is so hard that in a emergency it can’t be cut off . . . so, there have been times where the finger was what got cut off instead. The good news is that it’s not that expensive! There are many tungsten wedding bands available on Etsy.

Zirconium – not to be confused with the synthetic gemstone cubic zirconia – is new to the jewelry world.  It is not a natural metal, but is made from purifying zircon with chlorine. It is sometimes mixed with titanium. It is tough and inexpensive to buy. While it does not tarnish easily it can scratch. Zirconium bands come in grayish white and also black. Black zirconium is simply oxidized gray zirconium, which is why black is better for jewelry since its already oxidized and won’t discolour. I found many cool and unusual zirconium bands at Love2Have and Stonebrook Jewelry on Etsy.

Zirconium wedding bands. Photo source ~ top left and bottom right: love2have.co.uk. Top right and bottom left: Stonebrook Jewelry

Zirconium wedding bands. Photo source ~ top left and bottom right: love2have.co.uk. Top right and bottom left: Stonebrook Jewelry.

Titanium rings are durable, do not tarnish and are inexpensive. This metal is non-toxic, non-tarnishing, and hypoallergenic. However, it is hard to re-size metals like these because their strength, so make sure that it is the right size for your man. For more information on titanium go to titaniumrings.com.

http://www.thegloss.com/

Titanium ring. Photo source ~ thegloss.com.

You could also think about a non-metal materials like wood. Wooden rings are a great alternative for those with allergies or if the traditional materials are just too expensive. Wood rings are also socially responsible since wood does not have to be mined nor does it even need to be cut down as the ring can be made from re-used materials. The downside is that they are not as long lasting and you really have to take care of it. So no washing dishes or mixing cement with it on! Below are pictures of wooden wedding bands from the Canadian company Touch Wood Rings. Another great site is Simply Wood Rings.

Wooden wedding bands from Touch Wood Rings.

Beautiful wooden wedding bands from Touch Wood Rings.

Wedding bands can also be custom made from materials that are meaningful to you, like grandpas old broken violin or guitar that is up in the attic and then set with a diamond from grandma’s old broach.

Rings can be made from guitar or violin strings and a stone or gem attached. Photo source ~ artfire.com

Rings can be made from guitar or violin strings and a stone or gem attached. Photo source ~ artfire.com
The last thing i will like to talk about is sizing. This is important if the ring is going to be a surprise or if your going for a harder material. If he has a ring that he wears a lot you can circle it on a paper, from the inside and outside, or print off one of these charts and size it up:
loveringreviews.com -

Source ~ loveringreviews.com –

But again, if you are going for something like Tungsten, you may want him to go with you and try things on, or even pick it out for it can’t be re-size easily.

Hope you enjoyed the post. It’s amazing the options there are for men when it comes to wedding bands. Down the road I will do a post about inserts, like diamonds, rubies and the like as well as design options!

~ Jordin

The Dream Team ~ Designer Valerie Cousens

15 Friday Mar 2013

Posted by Loretta Jaunzarins in Accessories, Eco-Friendly, Wedding Gowns, Wedding Themes

≈ Leave a comment

Designer Valerie Cousens. Photo Source~ Jon Evans hamiltonmagazine.com

Fashion designer Valerie Cousens wearing one of her redesign dresses made from a men’s sweater. Photo Source ~ Jon Evans hamiltonmagazine.com

Today I’m delighted to introduce you to one fabulous eco designer – Valerie Cousens (born in England now a resident of Hamilton, Ontario). Valerie was recently featured in Hamilton Magazine as one of eleven Hamiltonians who have reset their lives. They are called the Dream Team because they have left behind old careers and followed their passions, reinventing themselves. Valerie left behind office and retail life and refocused on the arts, eventually branching into fashion design. Hamilton Magazine columnist Michael Borrelli describes Valerie as a “rehabilitated number cruncher” who found fashion.

Valerie, who is also an environmentalist, Reiki practitioner, artist and volunteer, describes herself as a “fashion redesigner.” She creates one-of-a-kind, all-recycled, wearable art that is fashionable and affordable. Valerie believes in fashion with a purpose, community outreach and involving youth in her projects.You can find Valerie’s upcycled streetwear and accessories in shops around Hamilton or she will custom design for you.

I caught up with Valerie at the recent 10th annual RevWear Fashion Show held in Hamilton, Ontario. I was interested in meeting Valerie because I had been told about her secret upcycled wedding dress! I loved the show and couldn’t wait to see Valerie’s creation. I wasn’t disappointed and had the privilege of meeting Valerie after the show. I’ll describe her design through the pictures below.

Valerie, who has no formal fashion design training, found an outdated wedding gown in a second hand shop that would work for her design.

Left: the before picture of the wedding dress. Right: The bodice of the wedding dress is made of lace. Valerie updated the sleeves for a more contemporary look. Photo ~ Suzanne Steenkist

Left: the before picture of the wedding dress. Right: The bodice of the wedding dress is made of lace. Valerie updated the sleeves for a more contemporary look. Photo ~ Suzanne Steenkist

RevWear encourages designers to incorporate a message into their design. Valerie wants viewers of her creations to know that brides have options when it comes to choosing their wedding dress. They don’t have to buy from traditional suppliers or wear what everyone else is wearing. They do have design options that are unique and beautiful and eco friendly.

Each layer of poof was made from recycled men's white shirts, gathered and attached with buttons. Photo ~

Each layer of flounce was made from recycled men’s white shirts, gathered and attached with buttons. Photo ~ Suzanne Steenkist

At first Valerie's dress seemed traditional like most others. Source ~

At first Valerie’s dress seemed traditional like most others. Photo ~ Suzanne Steenkist

When model Monica Germaine stepped on to the runway we were all wondering how Valerie would show this dress. Valerie’s crew took turns unbuttoning each flounce from the dress (made from recycling men’s white cotton dress shirts) to reveal a printed message and an under layer of Valerie’s signature recycling of neckties.

Photo ~

The wedding dress after the flounces have been unbuttoned. Photo ~ Suzanne Steenkist

Instead of being influenced by culture, belief systems and convention, each flounce encouraged brides to imagine something different: a wedding dress that reflects the care of creation and unique design.

Design freedom is worth a spin! Photo ~

Design freedom is worth a spin! Photo ~ Suzanne Steenkist

Not only was the wedding dress unique but so were the accessories. The headpiece was handmade from paper – recycled sheet music to be precise!

The headpiece was created from recycled sheet music and the  from the collar of a men's shirt then studded with rhinestones. Photos ~

The headpiece was created by S.J. Salise from recycled sheet music and Valerie designed the choker from the collar of a men’s shirt and then studded it with rhinestones. Photos ~ Suzanne Steenkist

What a great show and imaginative wedding dress design by Valerie Cousens!

What a great show and imaginative wedding dress design by Valerie Cousens! Photo ~ Suzanne Steenkist

Valerie has created the company Green Dress Designs where you can see more of her upcycled design. Check her out on Facebook too! To contact Valerie call her at 905-522-7679 or email her at cousensv@yahoo.com.

Thanks Valerie! All the best! Jordin

Bridal Bouquets

16 Monday Apr 2012

Posted by Loretta Jaunzarins in Bridal Bouquets, Eco-Friendly

≈ 2 Comments

Until recently the only choices brides had for a bouquet were real or silk flowers. But times have changed and we have lots of choices when it comes to planning our weddings, especially flowers. I chose to have organic fairly traded roses when I got married a couple of months ago. Nothing beats the fragrance of fresh flowers, especially in the winter! And silk flowers will always have a place especially if you are travelling to a destination wedding. The quality of silk or everlasting flowers has so dramatically improved that you often have to take a second look – they look so real!

You'll need to take a second look to be sure these flowers aren't "real". A lovely cream silk bouquet from debbiecoflowers.com

Roses are the most widely produced fair trade flower followed by carnations and chrysanthemums. But you can also get fair trade geraniums, poinsettias, and lilies. Photo ~ clareflorist.co.uk.

I’m finding that today’s bride, like myself, is a different breed from their motheror grandmother. We think more about the environmental footprint our wedding is going to leave. We think about the work conditions of those who work for growers and about the pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers growers around the world are using and workers are exposed to. Just as we are more aware of the issues in the coffee, sugar and chocolate industries, today’s bride is more aware of the big picture, the footprint a wedding can leave.

If you do some planning you can have flowers from your garden or a friends for your wedding including your bouquet. This takes being a little more realistic because you can’t expect to have tulips in October. While hydrangea bloom for most of the summer and into the fall, the blooms are fragile and need lots of water the day of your wedding. But they are well worth the planning! Find a friend or family member who is knowledgeable about flowers in your area and you will be surprised at the lovely boquet you can have. Below are some stunning garden bouquet arrangements from www.manolobrides.com and weddingbycolor.com.

Beautiful garden bouquets from http://www.manolobrides.com and weddingbycolor.com!

On last week’s post I pointed brides towards a very unique designer, Autumn and Grace Bridal listed on esty.com. Autumn will take lace from your mother’s or grandmother’s gown and turn it into a stunning bouquet that will become an heirloom in your new family!

Vintage lace bouquet from Autumn and Grace.

Canadian floral designer Joanne MacDonald of Silver Leaf Designs suggests that adding a heirloom brooch or jewels to your bridal bouquet is another way of remembering a loved one and adding something extra to your bouquet. For a vintage feel choose soft colours like ivory, cream, light pink or lavender and choose vintage flowers like hydrangea, or peony (when in season), or roses.

Photo ~ bride.ca

Another bouquet concept I’ve seen more of are crafted or paper flower bouquets. You can purchase origami bouquets on-line from many sites: origamidelight.com, Sophistica on Etsy, eCrater or Origami USA.  Or, if you’re the creative type try making them yourself! Simply google “origami bridal bouquet instructions” for lots of sites with excellent directions and suggestions. The most popular and easiest paper flowers to make are lilies.

This tiger lilly origami bouquet is accented with gold tone wire and copper Swarvoski crystals. Designer: Lilies by Lisa

The designer of this stunning “something blue” bouquet is Tony Cheng/Origami USA with photo by Erin Patrice O’Brien for TIME.

Don’t limit yourself to designs and concepts from Canada or the USA. There are many international floral designers who are using/recycling environmentally friendly materials for unique “show stopping” bouquets.

Designs by Andy Djati Utomo

These fascinating bridal bouquets are the creation of Indonesian designer Andy Djati Utomo.

Just loving these alternative bouquet ideas. So many on Etsy. Here are two more before I sign off.

All the best! Jordin

Eco-friendly Wedding Gowns

01 Thursday Mar 2012

Posted by Loretta Jaunzarins in Eco-Friendly, Wedding Gowns

≈ 4 Comments

In my opinion, Meryl Streep (thanks to her friend Livia and Green Carpet Challenge) stole the show at the Oscars on the weekend when she wore a first ever eco-friendly gown by Lanvin! A gorgeous gown on a fabulous actress!

Meryl Streep at the Academy Awards in an eco-friendly Lanvin gown! Photo ~ new.sky.com

Eco-friendly weddings are becoming more and more popular because many people today do take more care in their every day lives to reduce their carbon footprint and to live green; from reusable grocery bags when we go shopping to walking more and taking public transit or car pooling. So why not do the same with your wedding? There are a lots of options out there for the socially and environmentally aware couple.

Today my post is about eco-friendly wedding gowns, but I do plan to cover many different things people can do to make their wedding matter for the world.

Eco-friendly wedding dresses are made from organic fabrics like silk, cotton or hemp.  They are usually made locally or by local crafters in a developing country and traded at fair prices.  Since they are made of natural fibres, most of these dresses don’t come in true white colours.  They tend to be a more champagne or cream.  Eco-friendly manufacturers of clothing are attempting to heighten our awareness of the pollution caused by making fabric white. To make traditional dresses/gowns white, highly toxic chemicals are used and most often in the after process,they are released into the environment polluting the land, water and air around the factories.  They are also very dangerous to the workers.

Eco-friendly manufacturers stick with the true colour of the fibres or use natural dyes.

Here is a eco-friendly haute couture gown I found on The Green Girls Blog designed by Chris Kole of New York City. Photo ~ thegreengirls.com

These next two gowns are by designer Chrissy Wai Ching based out of Seattle, Washington. Photo ~ thegreengirls.com.

You can view more of these eco-friendly gowns at wai-ching.com. Photo ~ thegreengirls.com

Check local shops to see if they carry organic, eco-freindly or hemp dresses.   Here are some:

The Adele Wechsler Flagship Store and Boutique in Toronto has fabulous gowns and tips for a green wedding.

Photo ~ adeleweschler.com

If you are local to the Niagara area, Paula’s Elegant Bride in St. Catharines also has a lovely selection of eco-friendly gowns and can order from any designer.

 

Please send me your comments about eco-friendly gowns! Will you be wearing one at your wedding? Where did you purchase it? Share, share, share for a better planet!  All the best,  Jordin

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