Eco-friendly All the Way!

At Beksan Designs, we are committed to being eco-friendly as we create beautiful, sustainable designs. We are VERY fortunate that Turkey is SOOO rich in natural resources and we work with artisans in Turkey that use natural metals, gem stones, and textiles. They, as well as us, are environmentally conscious and that has influenced the core of our designs, material choices, production methods, and general business practices which we are sharing here in the U.S. Here are some ways we’re promoting an eco-friendly environment in both the US and Turkey: 1) Buy local or handmade vs manufactured. A piece of hand crafted jewelry made by an artisan can be a very special piece and it enables you to ask all the right questions.  What materials are they using? Where did they source them? - We at Beksan have done just this and we actually see the gemstones prior to having them crafted into our rings, earrings, bracelets, and necklaces. We also ensure that all metals are genuine and create jewelry made from diverse natural metals including: brass, sterling silver, 24k gold vermeil, 18k or 24k gold, and zinc. 2) Buy recycled. There is little excuse these days for not using recycled material as precious metals can be reclaimed from existing jewelry, industrial-use metals, and electronics components. Precious metals can be recycled repeatedly with no compromise to quality. Many of our pieces are made from recycled materials ie brass and zinc! 3) Avoid jewelry made from living things. Coral jewelry, for example, is ever so popular at the beach, but we’ve all heard the horror stories about how endangered our precious coral reefs are. We stay away from making any of these types of jewelry. If you like the look of coral, or other living things consider imitation jewelry instead–some of which looks quite convincing. 4) Do your research. It is perfectly legitimate to ask as many questions as necessary to satisfy yourself that what you are purchasing is truly eco-friendly jewelry. Again, this will always be easiest when there are fewer steps between you and the supplier. Adapted from http://ecovillagegreen.com/3721/six-tips-for-buying-eco-friendly-jewelry Wearing eco-friendly jewelry and accessories will make you look good and feel better about how you are supporting the environment!