Gold Initial Necklaces - Letter A Pendant

Women's Valentines Gift Guide 2024

Valentine's Day, a celebration of love and affection, is the perfect opportunity to express your feelings through thoughtful gifts. In 2024, as awareness about our planet's health grows, choosing sustainable yet luxurious gifts has become more important than ever. This guide is dedicated to helping you find the perfect gift for the special woman in your life, ensuring that your token of love is not just beautiful and high-quality, but also kind to the Earth. Let's delve into what makes a gift truly sustainable.

The Essence of a Sustainable Gift

When selecting gifts for our sustainable Valentine's Day guide, we adhere to a set of criteria that ensure each item is as eco-friendly as it is elegant.

1. Eco-Friendly Materials: A Planet-First Approach

The foundation of a sustainable gift lies in its materials. We prioritize products made from eco-friendly resources, such as recycled metals, organic fabrics, or biodegradable components. These materials have a lower environmental impact, reducing the carbon footprint and helping to conserve our planet's natural resources.

2. Fair and Ethical Production: Respecting the Artisan

The story behind a gift is as significant as the gift itself. We focus on items crafted by artisans who are fairly compensated and work under ethical conditions. This not only supports local communities but also ensures that the products are made with love, care, and respect for human dignity.


3. Holistic Sustainability: Beyond the Product

True sustainability extends beyond the product to encompass the entire ethos of a brand. We look for companies that integrate eco-friendly practices in every aspect of their business, from sustainable sourcing to green shipping options, and even giving back to environmental causes. This holistic approach reflects a genuine commitment to preserving our planet.


4. Practicality and Longevity: Gifts That Last

The most cherished gifts are those that can be used and loved for many years. We choose items that are not only practical but also timeless in design, ensuring they won't end up as forgotten clutter. Durability is key, as a long-lasting product reduces waste and promotes a more sustainable consumption pattern.

With these principles in mind, let's explore three exquisite, sustainable, and luxurious gift options for women, each under $300, that are sure to make this Valentine's Day memorable.

 

 

Gift Idea #1:

14K gold initial necklaces by Shiree Odiz

from $290

 

Personalization Meets Timeless Elegance

For a gift that is as unique as your loved one, consider a personalized letter initial necklace. Crafted in solid 14k gold, available in both classic gold and elegant white gold, these pendants offer a charming way to keep cherished names or initials close to the heart.

Letter Z Necklace Gold Diamond

Versatile and Meaningful

Perfect for showcasing a loved one's first name, initials, or even the names of children or grandchildren, these necklaces are a beautiful way to celebrate personal connections. They also make thoughtful gifts for commemorating significant events, like anniversaries or graduations, or as a way to carry a meaningful word or a short, personal mantra.

Adjustable and Comfortable Design

Each necklace comes with a convenient 16-inch chain that can be adjusted up to 18 inches, ensuring a perfect fit for anyone. The durability of the chain is complemented by a non-tangle design and a large, easy-to-use fish-lock fastening, making it a practical choice for everyday wear.

Crafted for a Lifetime and Beyond

These necklaces aren't just beautiful; they're made to last a lifetime and beyond. Each piece is sustainably crafted to order, using recycled gold. The diamonds used are either ethically sourced natural diamonds or eco-friendly lab-grown diamonds, ensuring that your gift is as kind to the planet as it is precious to the recipient.

Sustainability and Personalization Combined

By choosing a letter initial necklace, you're not only giving a personal and personalized gift but also supporting sustainable practices in jewelry making. The use of recycled gold and ethically sourced diamonds reflects a commitment to environmental responsibility and ethical craftsmanship.

This Valentine's Day, give a gift that combines the luxury of fine jewelry with the warmth of personalization and the assurance of sustainability.

 

 

Gift Idea #2:

bobobark Convertible Backpack by LaFlore Paris

from $299


The Epitome of Parisian Elegance and Sustainability

This Valentine's Day, surprise the special woman in your life with the exquisite bobobark convertible backpack by LaFlore Paris. A seamless blend of Parisian chic and practical design, the bobobark is more than just a bag; it's a statement of style, versatility, and commitment to the environment.

 


Versatility Meets Style

The bobobark convertible backpack is a masterpiece of versatility. It elegantly transitions from a stylish shoulder bag (tote style) to a comfortable backpack and even to a sophisticated briefcase. This adaptability makes it perfect for a woman who loves to transition seamlessly from a professional setting to casual outings.

Sustainable Luxury

Crafted from premium cork skin, this vegan backpack purse revolutionizes the concept of luxury. The cork material is ethically sourced and processed to achieve a texture as soft and supple as leather, while being three times lighter. This not only adds to the comfort of carrying the bag but also speaks volumes about the brand's dedication to sustainable practices.

Durable, Practical, and Waterproof

Durability is at the heart of the bobobark design. The organic cork material ensures the bag is strong, waterproof, and easy to maintain. Its resilience to daily wear and tear means it's a gift that will be cherished and used for many years, epitomizing the very essence of a sustainable gift.

A Modern Handbag with Classic Chic

The bobobark backpack purse is not just a utility item; it's a piece of fashion artistry. It embodies modern functionality with a nod to vintage Parisian charm. Its ability to transform with a few quick clips allows the wearer to stay organized, stylish, and prepared for any occasion, whether it's a day at work or a casual outing.

Made to Last

The longevity of the bobobark is a testament to its sustainability. Coupled with LaFlore's cork care and protection products, this backpack is designed to maintain its beauty and functionality for years, making it a gift that keeps on giving. Its water-resistant, lightweight, and easy-to-clean properties ensure that the cork leather exterior retains its unique look indefinitely.


A Gift That Reflects Thoughtfulness and Care

Choosing the bobobark convertible backpack as a Valentine's gift is a reflection of thoughtfulness, not just in selecting a stylish and practical accessory, but also in opting for a product that aligns with the values of sustainability and ethical fashion. It's a gift that shows care for your loved one and for the planet, a perfect representation of love in 2024.

 

 

Gift Idea #3

The Rejuvenation Box by Here I Am Box

$79


A Sanctuary of Serenity and Sustainability

Valentine's Day is not just about expressing love but also about caring for the well-being of your loved one. The Rejuvenation Box from Here I Am offers an exquisite way to encourage relaxation and self-care, all wrapped in a package that speaks volumes about sustainability and ethical practices.

Thoughtfully Curated for Relaxation

The box is a treasure trove of calming and luxurious items, designed to create a soothing escape from the daily grind:

Aromatherapy Weighted Eye Pillow: Perfect for easing into relaxation, this eye pillow, infused with soothing scents, offers a gentle, calming pressure to alleviate stress.

Wildcrafted French Lavender Coconut Wax Candle: Set the mood with the tranquil aroma of French lavender. This coconut wax candle burns cleanly, filling the room with a serene fragrance.

Rose Blossom Hand and Body Lotion: Nourish the skin with this delicately scented lotion, a blend that moisturizes while enveloping the senses in the gentle embrace of rose blossoms.

Pure Premium Saffron: An exotic addition, this premium saffron is not just a culinary delight but also known for its health benefits, adding a touch of luxury to everyday cooking.

A Commitment to Sustainability and Community

Here I Am's dedication to sustainability is evident in every aspect of the Rejuvenation Box. Each product is ethically made by artisans using eco-friendly materials. The box itself is a testament to this commitment – it is upcycled, encouraging reuse at home, or can be easily recycled.

Moreover, a portion of the proceeds from each box goes to The Atrium Foundation, supporting artists and makers affected by cancer. This gesture adds a deeper layer of meaning to your gift, as it contributes to a cause that nurtures the creative community.

A Gift That Nurtures Body, Mind, and Spirit

By choosing the Rejuvenation Box, you're offering more than just a collection of items. You're providing an experience – an opportunity for your loved one to indulge in self-care, to unwind and rejuvenate. It's a thoughtful way to show your love and concern for her overall well-being.

 

Each of these gifts – the versatile bobobark convertible backpack, the personalized letter initial necklace, and the soothing Rejuvenation Box – has been chosen for its blend of luxury, practicality, and commitment to sustainability. This Valentine's Day, let your gift be a reflection of not just your love, but also your shared values and respect for the planet.

January 01, 2024 — Daniel Setton
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What Is Slow Fashion?

What Is Slow Fashion?

Let's start with the exact opposite of slow fashion... fast fashion. 

Low production costs due to mass quantity production and cheap labor have made it easier than ever for modern countries to afford clothing, shoes and accessories. Combined with monthly cycles offering ever-changing collections of designs and an endless abundance of social media and marketing material consumed, and you've got a recipe for over-consumption. And waste. Lots of waste.

 

What Is Fast Fashion?

Fast fashion is one of the main causes of pollution both on the production side and the disposal side of its journey. Low cost labor and manufacturing have their own toll on working conditions and the ethics of that, as well as toxic air pollution if not from the processes themselves, but from the shear quantities involved.

By consuming 'affordable' fast fashion, you'll naturally expect to dispose of your clothing as they quickly lose shape and quality, and slide out of fashion as collections are refreshed and a new trend is marketed to the masses. Our temporary fashion sense creates the need for massive land fills, usually in poor countries, polluting their environment and water especially.

 

Sustainable Slow Fashion

Slow fashion takes the opposite approach. Timeless design, higher quality items made to last, and crafted with finer materials by skilled workers mean that you (need to) make fewer purchases, create less demand for large quantities to be manufactured, and finally less waste. Combined with ethically sourced, eco-friendly materials and you'll have a truly sustainable fashion product.

 

Let's take the jewelry industry for example, as that's what we know best...

 

Fine Materials

Jewelry comes in many shapes and forms, however there are two distinctly different categories: fashion jewelry and fine jewelry. Fine jewelry is generally considered solid gold and platinum jewelry, with or without diamonds and precious gemstones. Fashion jewelry would be all other metals, with sterling silver and gold plated jewelry being the higher end of the fashion jewelry scale.

 

Made To Last

For the sake of our topic, the key difference is that fine jewelry lasts. Fashion jewelry often doesn't. Silver jewelry would be borderline on both, however it does have the issue of tarnishing as the silver reacts with the oxygen in the air around us. Gold plating also does well, but eventually that will fade away and the metal underneath may cause allergic reactions, generally look bad and other undesirables.

Diamonds are forever, while gold and platinum are hypoallergenic and as solid metals will not fade or tarnish.

 

Timeless Design

By combining materials that are forever with timeless design, you have jewelry that never needs replacing. Yes, there maybe minor maintenance over the years, but we won't be contributing to the demand for endless production and waste of fast fashion options.

Timeless design means that it'll never go out of style, and can ideally be worn with any outfit, any day and any time of the day.

 

Skilled Workers

Mass produced jewelry, even when it's fine jewelry, will absolutely make it more affordable, but then we're back to the issues of working conditions and buying a piece that truly lasts and doesn't need replacing.

With the higher price tag of fine jewelry, and especially made-to-order jewelry, more time and effort can be invested in creating a quality piece that will last. Not just because of the materials, but also the design and craftsmanship. Skilled workers will care about their art, will refine their skills, have more time on each piece and will be duly compensated.

 

Ethically Sourced

None of this will matter if the raw materials we use are themselves made or sourced in a way that damages the environment or has detrimental human impact. Where possible, look for eco-friendly, sustainable materials, recycled and/or with a minimum carbon footprint.

 

 

 

December 13, 2023 — Shiree Odiz
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1 carat Round Diamonds On Dark Background

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November 08, 2023 — Daniel Setton
Real Diamond Tennis Necklaces On Woman

Diamond Tennis Necklaces: Spotlight

 

Diamond tennis necklaces are one of our most popular and yet more significant statement pieces. There's an abundance of diamond tennis necklaces out there, and to date, we're currently only offering one design of differing carat weights. Why? Because we've thought carefully about how to design for everyday comfort, enhanced aesthetics and lifetime durability. 

 

Tennis Bracelet Diamond and White GoldTennis Bracelet Diamond and White Gold

Diamond Tennis Necklaces - Collection

 

Essentially, we've done the homework based on 2 decades of diamond jewelry design and craft experience and made decisions that we believe offer the perfect balance between quality, price and beauty.

Let's delve into the details.

 

Tennis Necklace Diamonds

Carat Weight

We currently offer a choice of 3 carat diamond tennis necklaces and 5 carat diamond necklaces. The total carat weight is less important, rather the combo of our decision to set the diamonds only 3/4 of the way around (more of that below) and the carat weight or mm size of the small diamonds.

Our 3 carat necklace is set with 2mm diamonds which are approximately 0.03 carat each. With small diamonds the key is to consider the cost of setting the diamonds with the cost per carat and the overall aesthetic. High quality diamond setting, as opposed to with mass produced jewelry, is a skilled art that will both secure your diamonds better and make the overall piece look higher end - so this isn't something you want to compromise on. 2mm is the sweet spot for this size range as smaller than that is a clear compromise on the brilliance and presence of the diamonds and much smaller than that, the tennis necklace becomes relatively fragile. Larger than 2mm and the price starts to jump, especially with the natural diamonds.

The next size up that we'd recommend is 2.8mm diamonds, which are around 0.08 carat each. They're the largest size before an even higher price jump - with no obvious difference in appearance - before we reach 0.10 carat stones.

 

Diamond Shape

Nothing says timeless like the round brilliant cut. Other diamond shapes fall in and out of fashion, while round diamonds truly are forever. They offer the best brilliance-carat-size balance and when creating layouts of identically looking and measured stones for diamond tennis necklaces, they're the most consistent and cost effective too.

 

Lab grown or Natural Diamonds

We love both. And both are real diamonds after all.

With a lab grown diamond tennis necklace, you'll enjoy eco-friendly and ethically sourced, top quality, and more affordable diamonds. For the more traditional choice that will continue to hold its value over time, natural diamonds are the classic option, albeit a slightly more pricey one.

 

SI, VS or VVS Diamonds

While you could absolutely aim for a top of the range VVS diamond tennis necklace, is that the best choice for you? VVS clarity will guarantee that your diamonds are all completely clean, even under 10x magnification. But they're very expensive (lab grown diamonds can be a more affordable choice should you decide on VVS) and honestly they will look exactly the same as VS diamonds. When it comes diamonds under 3mm, you can comfortably go down to SI clarity with an excellent cut and still get the exact same aesthetic as VVS, which can cost as much as 2x the price. 

As standard, we select VS diamonds for our lab grown diamonds and SI diamonds for our natural diamonds. This is to maximize the quality and visible beauty, while keeping our diamond necklaces affordable.

 

Tennis Necklace Gold

As with most of our collection, our diamond tennis bracelets come in 14K white gold and 14K yellow gold. 

What about platinum tennis bracelets? Or 10K and 18K gold?

Platinum and 18K are softer than 14K and so in the long run, they're simply not as durable. Yes, they can last a lifetime and will absolutely look just as beautiful as 14K gold necklaces, however you are more likely to need maintenance such as fixing stuck links, re-adjusting the lock and replacing diamonds that can be knocked out of place.

10K is lighter and as hard as 14K, but the purity doesn't allow for the smooth clean surface that you see with 14K and 18K gold. 10K gold has more blemishes, pit-holes and porosity that will reveal itself within the first months or years of wear.

 

Our Tennis Necklaces

  • Triple lock
  • 3/4 way round
  • 4 prongs
  • smooth backing

 

Diamonds 3/4 Around The Necklace

One of the first decisions we made with the design of our diamond tennis necklaces was whether to have the diamonds 1/2 way around or all the way around.

A 1/2 way tennis means a larger area of plain gold and fewer diamonds which keeps the price down slightly, but the cut off point of the diamonds makes it less aesthetically pleasing.

Diamonds all the way around is beautiful, but comes with some drawbacks:

- Prongs are more likely to get caught in your hair and over time can cause diamonds to come loose.

- Having diamonds go all the way around increases the price while the extra diamonds at the back are hidden unless you have short hair.

- A full eternity tennis also makes length adjustments more difficult, should you want to increase or decrease the length.

With diamonds 3/4 of the way around, we get the perfect balance of price, beauty and practicality.

 

Triple Lock Fastenings

 

The last thing anyone wants is to accidentally lose their diamond jewelry. Thats why with all our jewelry, durability and practicality are build into the design. Gold and platinum are soft metals and naturally can wear, bend and break over time. Flimsy, thin designs use less gold and so have a more attractive price tag, but down the line are going to be more prone to damage and loss. 

In addition to a more robust setting, we've also added 3 safety locks to secure your necklace in place.

 

Triple Safety Lock For Yellow Gold Tennis Necklaces Triple Safety Fastening Diamond Tennis

 

Comfort Fit Gold Tennis Setting

 

If you're truly going to wear your diamond jewelry every day, it absolutely needs to be comfortable! Our master goldsmith meticulously polishes every edge and surface for a silky smooth touch.

 

Comfort Fit Tennis Necklace On Woman's NeckComfort Fit Diamond Tennis Necklace Design

 

4-Prong Set Diamonds

 

We chose a secure 4-prong setting for our tennis necklaces and for most of our designs to minimize any risk of diamonds coming loose. Shared prongs risk losing multiple stones at a time, 3 prongs often have issues in the long term and 6 prongs are simply too much for this size diamond. A classic 4 prong setting is the sweet spot.

 

Benefits Of 4-Prong Tennis Necklaces4-Prong Diamonds Set in Yellow Gold & Benefits

Diamond Tennis Necklace FAQs

How much is a diamond tennis necklace?

The price of a tennis necklace will depend on the quality of the setting, its metal  and purity, the carat weight, the type and quality of the diamonds and the design. The general rule of thumb is that a high quality diamond necklace should cost around $1500 per carat.

 

How to wear diamond tennis necklace?

Can you wear a diamond tennis necklace every day? Diamond tennis necklaces are such a classic, timeless and versatile piece that they literally will go with almost any outfit, any hairstyle and for any occasion. Perhaps the only rule would be not to cover it!

 

How to prevent diamond tennis necklace from flipping

The flipping of necklaces in general is a common issue and has as much to do with the design of the piece as it does the shape of your collar bone. You'll want to look for a tennis necklace with a flat base that has firm links so you'll want to avoid flimsy thin and light-made ones.

Ideally you'll also want your tennis necklace to sit either just above or just below your collar bone to prevent flipping, so adjusting the length can be one of the easiest solutions.

 

What makes a tennis necklace?

Similar to diamond tennis bracelets, a tennis bracelet is simply a row of diamonds linked together on a gold or platinum setting with a clasp lock at the back. There's no chain and no pendant.


How many carats in a tennis necklace?

Our collection offers 3 carat and 5 carat diamond tennis necklace options as we believe they offer the best balance of beauty, quality and price. However, you can find popular 1 carat, 2 carat and larger tennis necklaces from alternative brands.

November 05, 2023 — Daniel Setton
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