Mother Nature Network recently singled out vintage and antique jewelry shops as one of the ways any wedding can be made greener. That is because choosing antique rings “helps with some of the dangerous manufacturing processes of gold.” An article in the “New York Times” a few years back titled “With This Ethical Ring I Thee Wed” highlighted some of these dangers.

Pointing out that “80 percent of all the gold mined today is fabricated into jewelry,” the article enumerated the gold-mining Earth Day–unfriendly impacts of what is unaffectionately referred to as “dirty gold”:

1. The use of cyanide “to retrieve the metal from base rock, which can pollute water and lead to the release of other pollutants like mercury”
2. Displacement of indigenous peoples to get at the profitable gold at all costs
3. Rock waste, 30 tons of which are “often needed to produce a single gold ring”

But gold isn’t the only material that makes an antique or vintage engagement ring a better choice for environmentally-conscious couples. With an estimated 80 percent of American brides receiving a diamond engagement ring prior to their nuptials, diamond mining enters into the equation as well.

According to the World Diamond Council, unregulated diamond digging can harm the environment in the following ways:

1. Land disturbance – “Diamond mining uses a variety of methods, some of which involve the removal of large quantities of soil from the earth.”
2. Energy use and emissions – The carbon emissions that are a byproduct of diamond mining “are considered to be a major factor in global warming and climate change,” both vital environmental concerns this Earth Day.
3. Waste and recycling – Waste produced by mines “can include oil, paper, scrap metal, batteries, tires and small quantities of plastic and glass.”
4. Use of water –¬ “Diamond mining uses water, rather than chemicals, for extraction,” making “it even more important that the diamond mining process does not pollute natural water sources and that it uses as little [water] as possible.”
5. Impact on Biodiversity – Diamond mining occurs in diverse places around the globe, disrupting delicate ecosystems in the process.

Because the gold and diamonds in vintage and diamond engagement rings were mined long ago, no additional impact is made on the earth by grooms-to-be who buy them and brides-to-be who wear them. As a result, they align with Earth Day’s agenda of protecting and preserving the environment.

Steve Turner, a fine jewelry appraiser with Gemcorp, Inc. in Atlanta, Georgia, recommends that you interview your appraiser regarding how much training she has with respect to your particular item.

9. “I have 10 years of retail store training. I really know my stuff.” – To accurately assess an antique piece of jewelry, much more than retail experience is required. When seeking an antique jewelry appraisal, don’t choose someone who is employed by a jewelry store or who buys and sells jewelry. The former simply is not exposed to enough product to make a viable assessment, and the latter may have a biased interest in the item.

8. “I’ve been doing this for three years. If I were in school, I would have my PhD in this stuff by now.” – Being able to appraise any specific item is more like getting an MD in it. “Someone who is appraising an antique piece of jewelry should have a minimum of five years in jewelry appraisals,” Turner stresses.

7. “Let me take a better look at that under my magnifying glass.” – To appraise antique jewelry, an appraiser should have a wide array of professional equipment at his disposal. High-powered magnification, preferably in the form of an electron microscope is of utmost importance. He should avail himself to other basic gemological equipment as well (e.g., spectroscope, refractometer, polariscope, dichroscope, etc.) if the jewelry contains gemstones. An extensive reference library is also a must have. In the case of diamonds, for example an antique diamond engagement ring, a set of 8 Master Color Grading Diamonds graded and approved by both GIA and AGS should be on hand as well.

6. “I don’t believe in all that USPAP compliance nonsense.” – Short for Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice, USPAP is a set of quality control standards that applies to personal property like antique jewelry. A USPAP compliant appraisal ensures that your appraiser conforms to all the standards that have been set forth. For this type of reassurance, you should look for an appraiser who expressly states that she is USPAP compliant.

5. “What you want is a replacement cost with a new item appraisal.” – When it comes to antique jewelry, what you want is typically a replacement cost with a comparable item appraisal, but Turner points out that the “appraiser should evaluate an item on how you, the customer, want it appraised.” And whatever cost valuation the appraiser goes with must be based on genuine market data.

With antique jewelry, a comparable item replacement cost is usually preferable for insurance purposes because it’s easy to replace or remake an item with something new. It’s much harder to replace it with a comparable antique piece.

4. “You’ve been had! The diamond in your antique engagement ring has a hole in it.” – Antique jewelry appraisers who lack the requisite training say the darnedest things. Turner relates the story of an appraiser who called the facet in a diamond that allows the light to shine through it a “hole.” You might also hear an inexperienced appraiser say that the diamonds in an antique piece are set upside-down.

3. “This certificate of authenticity is all the proof you need.” – A certificate of authenticity might look good, but if it doesn’t say anything of substance, it’s not worth the paper it’s printed on. “A COA should be very specific regarding the description of the item. A generic statement that could apply to any diamond or gemstone, for instance, renders it worthless.” Unless the COA has all the details of a USPAP compliant appraisal, it’s not going to be a very helpful document.

2. “Trust me.” – If you don’t feel as though your appraiser is “competent, authoritative, and experienced,” then you should look elsewhere, cautions Turner. “It wouldn’t be a bad idea to get an example of the appraiser’s work product either.” Doing so will ensure he is giving you a genuine unbiased appraisal as opposed to one that is based on personal prejudices.

1. “You’re just being unreasonable.” – Although it’s not common to push the matter, it’s not unreasonable to ask an appraiser for market research that backs up her appraisal.

At Topazery, our emphasis is on antique engagement rings highlighted by precious and semi-precious gemstones like diamonds, aquamarines, sapphires, rubies and emeralds, but we also carry antique jewelry with sought-after costume detailing like plique a jour enameling and manmade gemstones.

Over at the antique and collectibles mall, TIAS.com, vintage jewelry and antique diamond jewelry were the hot sellers in 2011. There, antique jewelry performed even better than it did at Kovels, snagging the number five slot on the site’s top-twenty sales list and rising two notches from number seven in 2010.

Topazery’s collection of vintage jewelry pieces runs the gamut from bridal and wedding rings to filigree and diamond engagement rings. We also carry a nice selection of vintage pendants, vintage brooches, vintage necklaces, vintage bracelets and vintage earrings. While the definition of “vintage” is open to debate, vintagejewelry.org.uk/ defines it this way: “A piece of jewellery is considered to be vintage art, if it has crossed 25 years of presence. A jewellery piece which has overlapped 100 years of age … gains the honour of an antique vintage jewellery piece.”

Our antique diamond offerings are all-encompassing, with diamond engagement rings especially well represented. As you browse the Topazery site, you’ll also find diamond bridal rings, diamond wedding bands, diamond earrings, and diamond pins and brooches. As antique jewelry continues to ride a wave of popularity in the antique and collectibles community, Topazery will continue to bring its fans and collectors the best jewelry pieces the antique world has to offer.

In this high-tech era of gadgets and gizmos, 29 percent of the women polled stated that if forced to choose a single item, they would prefer jewelry as a Valentine’s Day gift. Compare that to the mere eight percent of respondents who favored the latest technology product, and even the iPad can’t compete.

What about men who already have the gift of jewelry in the bag and are planning to pop the question this February 14th with an engagement ring? The department store’s designer encourages them to focus on timeless designs.

That’s a jewelry philosophy that Topazery holds near and dear to its heart. Indeed, Topazery’s founder firmly believes that antique jewelry should touch the heart and soul with its timeless beauty. As such, she selects every antique engagement ring and antique jewelry piece the company carries by hand to ensure it evokes that kind of enduring adoration in herself and her customers.

The surveying retailer’s designer also offered these additional tips for making a Valentine’s Day proposal one she’ll remember for a lifetime:

1. “Consider creative packaging options … like an antique jewelry box…”

At Topazery.com, no attention to detail is spared. Time and time again, the men who buy their antique engagement rings from the site—and the women who receive them—come back with nothing but praise for the entire experience, including the exquisite packaging. They marvel over the treasure box their ring comes wrapped in and comment that “This [beautiful wrapping] added to its charm” and gush that “even the box is gorgeous!”

2. “Look for special diamond cuts and shapes as well as intricate and dazzling band styles…”

Browsers of the Topazery website will discover antique engagement rings accented with old cut diamonds like rose cut, old European cut and old mine cut. They will also find white gold, yellow gold and platinum bands with milgrain, carvings, and filigree and orange blossom detailing.

Jewelry admirers started their love affair with rose cut diamonds when the cut was first introduced in the 1400s. Today, those who prefer the fire and brilliance of today’s modern brilliant cut diamond feel a rose cut is glassy, almost lifeless. But to those modern day jewelry lovers who appreciate these romantic stones, their beauty is remarkable. The large facets soften light and allow the beholder to appreciate the stone as a sculptured object of art.

Yellow gold and rose cut diamonds create a dazzling display in this Victorian rose cut diamond ring. Circa 1850

A 0.50 carat modern rose cut is surrounded by brown and yellow round brilliant cut diamonds in this contemporary rose cut diamond ring.

An oval rose cut diamond shines softly from a shimmering bed of mixed rose cut diamonds. Circa 1850.

This enchanting antique Victorian ring perches on the finger like a sunflower reaching for the sun. Circa 1850.

An elegant mounting holds 9 bead-set rose cut diamonds in this modern Edwardian-style rose cut diamond ring.

Five rose cut diamonds meander their way across the top of this Victorian ring. Swirling curlicues add visual interest to the ring’s bezel. Circa 1890.

In this Victorian ring, a cushion cut peridot is surrounded by a halo of rose cut diamonds set in silver. Circa 1890.

The rose cut diamonds in this antique Georgian ring shine softly like the early evening light of winter. Circa 1800.

Ten rose cut diamonds surround a larger rose cut in a flower-petal design. The discolored metal behind the diamonds makes the stones look much darker than they are. Circa 1850

One large center rose cut diamond is surrounded by twelve accenting diamonds set in a swirling design. Circa 1930s

Rose cut diamonds create a triangle of light for a diamond shaped ruby in this classic Victorian ring. Circa 1900