An Interview with Eco Jewelry Designer, Katherine DalPra
How did Green Diva come about?
It all started when I got engaged back in 2005 and couldn't seem to find the right bridal jewelry for me. It was kind of a frustrating experience because nothing really connected with me. Everything I looked at, whether online or at a bridal salon, seemed a bit cookie-cutter and I really wanted something different...something personal...something me. Plus, it had to be genuine...no costume jewelry for this diva...I was too afraid that if the quality wasn't up to par it might fall apart after the wedding day (or during, heaven forbid!) Unfortunately, that really limited my options since costume jewelry was predominantly the kind of jewelry that was out there for brides.  |
At first, I thought I was plain out of luck. But then, something amazing happened. I became friends with a veteran handcraft jeweler and discovered the art of custom, handmade jewelry for the first time. I was enamored by the quality and personalization of it all and I hired her to custom design me a pair of earrings for my wedding. Best decision ever. As a bride, few things are more pampering than having someone custom design accessories from scratch just for you. I loved them so much, I just kept hiring her to custom design jewelry for all my friends and family! It was so much fun and such a perfect creative outlet for me, that I eventually studied the craft became a designer myself! At the time, I really wasn't educated in the world of jewelry...I loved to wear it, but was pretty clueless about the 'behind the scenes' part. So I did my due diligence. And that's when my little hobby began to evolve into something more. It turns out, my pretty little jewels weren't so pretty after all. After some digging, I discovered there was a darker side to the jewelry industry. A dirty secret. And everyone from miners to gemstone cutters to production factory workers were being affected by it, not to mention our beloved little planet. It wasn't a secret I was supposed to know about...trust me, I had to look very hard to find it. But find it I did. And since that moment, my adventure with baubles has never been the same. |
Green Diva is about making a different mark on history...while still honoring that part of us that is totally unique and authentic. I started this company so fashion-conscious women can have everything they want....style, glamour and individuality...all while doing right by both people and planet. When it comes to fashion, I guess I think we should be able to have our cake and eat it too...after all, isn't that what Divas do?
What kind of bride do you work with?
Authentic brides, just like you, who are having a totally unique, destination or green wedding experience and want a bridal look to go with it; one that really captures your true essence...your mojo...your unique personality, style and taste. With your choice of design, metal finish, gemstone, charm and clasp, you can create an original look that really showcases either your personal style or your wedding theme. In the end, you'll get bridal jewelry that is entirely unique and custom made just for you.A lot of our brides also care about quality. If you don't want your bridal jewelry to fall apart on the wedding day and see yourself enjoying it for a lifetime (or even passing it down one day), then you'll find peace of mind in our choice of materials, our triple-inspection policy and our lifetime repair promise. Your jewelry will only be crafted using precious metals, genuine gemstones and freshwater pearls...no faux or costume-grade materials. Your jewels will be inspected at least 3 times before they leave our studio and you'll always be able to send it back to us if it needs repairing down the road...no questions asked.
And of course, every bride we work with wants to make a difference in the world, even if it's a small one. This is super easy to do with Green Diva because there's no work in it! Each piece we design for you helps reduce your environmental impact, help another fellow human worker and even restore the land again through tree planing and donations to environmental projects. Our brides love this because it makes changing the world so easy and so much doggone fun!!!
What makes Green Diva eco bridal jewelry different?
Although our bridal jewelry appeals to a wide variety of brides, I specialize in creating custom jewelry for brides seeking a more personal, customized experience that allows them to design bridal jewelry around their authentic style and wedding plans. What this means to you is that I am focused on the styles that work best for destination, custom and green weddings as well as those charms, gems and modifications that will help you best express your unique personality and style on your wedding day.Also, with Green Diva, you'll get a lot more mileage out of your bridal jewelry. It's built to last using genuine materials and solid construction, but is also very versatile in style so that you can enjoy it as bridal jewelry on your Big Day, but wear it again and again with jeans and a top afterward.
Lastly, it's green!!! We're the only eco-conscious bridal jewelry boutique in the market, which means your positive environmental impact is exclusive through us alone.
What types of brides are not a good fit for Green Diva Bridal jewelry?
Brides that are looking for the lowest cost option in bridal jewelry, who don't mind if their jewelry looks like every other brides and aren't worried that it might fall apart on their wedding day will probably find a much better match elsewhere.Also, brides that wish to have rhinestones or faux materials in their bridal jewelry will be disappointed to find that we simply won't use them. Unfortunately, these types of materials are typically mass-manufactured in developing countries under the worst possible working conditions that pay the lowest possible wages and offer no safety equipment or employee benefits.
What is eco jewelry? What does that mean?
To be accurate, our jewelry is actually more of a fusion between sustainable and socially-conscious. But most brides don't use that terminology, so we just call it "eco."Sustainable | Eco
Your jewelry is partially made from recycled materials. The gold and silver primarily come from reclaimed sources, such as old x-ray film, photographic film, jewelry, electronic parts and silverware. They are refined and brought back to their original alloy so that we can use them once again in your bridal jewelry. The quality is the same and the alloy is the same. The only difference is that these metals do not require additional mining, which is the #1 toxic polluter in the United States....not to mention a major source for freshwater pollution and forest destruction. This helps you preserve resources and protect our planet from toxicity.
Other ways that your jewelry minimizes impact on the planet are through our vintage materials, pearls and gems. Occasionally, we incorporate vintage and reclaimed crystals, taken from pre-loved jewelry...which means, no new manufacturing or consumption is required....you're just making the most of baubles that are already in circulation! Also, your gemstones and pearls are mostly untreated or organically treated, which eliminates the need for harmful radiation and dye treatments.
Socially Conscious
Many of the charms, gemstones and artistic components in your jewelry are actually crafted outside of our studio by co-ops and Fair Trade certified workshops. That means you are supporting commerce that pays workers fair living wages, gives them a safe working environment and provides them benefits and growth opportunities. How thoughtful of you!
Why is some other bridal jewelry so inexpensive?
1. Sweatshop labor: jewelry production is outsourced to India, China and other developing countries where laws do not protect the worker and wages can be extremely low. They then save even more by eliminating the costs of safety equipment, safety training, benefits and insurance. Unfortunately, the "true" cost of this kind of commerce is never seen by the person buying the jewelry.2. Low grade materials: Base metals, rhinestones, glass, plastic and faux materials are simply cheaper to buy....allowing the final product to be much lower in price. They are mass produced using a combination of low-wage labor and machinery that keeps costs down. Unfortunately, this way of doing business doesn't honor humanity's right to earn a fair living wage and also causes pollution and resource depletion by using heavy machinery or toxic chemicals to manufacture the components. Again, the "true" cost is hidden.
Why did you create a Bridal line for Green Diva Jewelry?
Simple, brides asked for it! About a year after launching Green Diva Jewelry, I started getting inquiries from brides as to whether I could make eco jewelry for their wedding day. So, I took a closer look at the types of searches my customers conducted on the Green Diva website and, sure enough, "bridal jewelry" was the #1 term searched. I had always intended to create a bridal division, but I really didn't know if the average bride was ready for it...this just showed me they were!So in 2009, I expanded Green Diva and launched the very first eco bridal jewelry boutique in the wedding market. Now brides can have luxurious, designer bridal jewelry that is made special just for them....and it's planet-kind and people-friendly too!
