Green Jewelry Options

Green, environmentally friendly fashion pieces are becoming more and more readily available on the market today. More specifically, earth-friendly recycled and upcycled jewelry pieces are now finding a way to be seen as viable alternatives to non- recycled accessories. While these jewelry items may be more (or just as) expensive as their brand-new, non-recycled alternatives, the concepts behind the creation of these fashion pieces make them worth the extra investment. For the fashion conscious and earth-friendly shopper, here is a list of several providers of green jewelry items.

31 Bits: Made from 100% recycled paper content, this innovative company acts as a go-between for the women of northern Uganda and a large (mostly internet-based) consumer group. The jewelry pieces are all unique, composed of magazine and other scrap paper rolled tightly into variously shaped beads for use in necklaces, bracelets, and earrings. The jewelry designs are as varying as the beads themselves, and are available in enough styles to please even the most picky jewelry shopper.

Eco Artistic Products: Offering another take on how to upcycle former trash into fashion, this store offers fair trade jewelry products made from pull tabs of discarded cans and old fabric pieces. While this might sound tacky and unattractive, the jewelry pieces cleverly crafted from these items are actually very stylish and unique-proof that upcycling even the most mundane objects can result in something beautiful.

Cool Planet Store: Another take on re/upcycling jewelry products, this online-based store offers bracelets made from old candy wrappers. Fun, colorful, and bright, these bracelets are a great gift idea for the earth-friendly child. The bracelets are even made to be adjustable for both children and adult wrists.

Etsy: Perhaps one of the most popular "craft-based" stores online today, the jewelry offered by many Etsy vendors fully embraces the green principle of upcycling. Vintage pieces that would otherwise be thrown away are given a whole new look in many Etsy shops, with many vendors finding creative ways to make older styles look fashionable for today's trends. Etsy, while not necessarily full of recycled jewelry items, is certainly a place to shop for many upcycled fashion pieces.

Wired Jewelry: Proof that recycled/upcycled jewelry pieces don't have to look tacky, Wired Jewelry offers fashion accessories that will please even the most fashion conscious shopper. Crafted from discarded industry products, this jewelry stores sells items such as this classy necklace, made from surplus surgical tubing and stainless steel wire. Other jewelry items sold by Wired exhibit the same excellent fashion taste, all while helping to preserve this planet through green principles.