Fulfilling my ethical ring wishes

I’m so glad the opportunity to review Gardens of the Sun (GOTS) came up on Ethical Influencers. It’s been a while since I’ve tried out a product, and the timing was perfect because anyone who knows me knows I wear silver rings. But until recently, I only wore them on my wedding finger, and two fingers on my right hand. My index fingers have needed some adornment!

First, I had to visit a local jeweller to find out the ring size of my index fingers. I live near Punjabi Market in Vancouver and have always wanted to go ring shopping in the area but I didn’t know what ring material to ask for (now I know sterling silver is a good option). One store’s owner/staff person was really helpful when I took an infrequently worn gold ring in to check its size.

GOTS gave me a US$150 voucher to use for jewelry, so I chose two items: the Borneo Diamond Slice Ring and V-shaped Nesting Band.

 

Product Package

Let’s talk about the packaging first. The jewelry came in a paper box (check) wrapped in paper tissue (check). There was a really cute insert/booklet with the following:

• Information on the company
• An affirmation that they planted 5 trees for the purchase
• Certified B Corp logo, email address, and social media links
• Information on the diamond, the stone I chose for one ring (diamond is the birthstone for the month of April. You can find out find out what your birthstone is on the site)
• QR codes to learn more

Super helpful!

The ring box is handmade by Banana Paper Bandung, a community enterprise in Bandung, West Java, that makes paper from recycled banana stems (what?!). It came with a cute little illustrated card with “LOVE & MEANING” and a short passage on the back of it. Both ring names and sizes were tied to the ribbon on the box.

The Rings

I should point out that GOTS doesn’t just sell rings, but also necklaces, bracelets, and earrings too. So you could potentially get yourself an entire set!

I really love the sterling silver V-shaped band ($35) because I’m vegan, and anything v-shaped is cool. As a stacker ring, it can frame small stones on other rings beautifully, which it does in my case.

One thing I learned by choosing the Borneo Diamond ring ($95) is that diamonds can come in different colours! Mine has hints of brown/yellow and is sourced from Kalimantan, Indonesia. The band is made of recycled sterling silver. Even better!

Feel-Good Messages

After my order, I got this via email:

 

Hi Sandra,

Thank you so much for getting your jewelry from us! I hope that it’ll accompany you through the years on adventures, on moments big and small, and all the ups and downs on your journey through life.

Talking of journeys…once our team has shipped your jewelry, your impact doesn’t end yet.

We partnered Eden Reforestation Projects to grow a forest of love.

A literal “Gardens of the Sun” if you will.

Every single piece of jewelry plants five mangrove trees in Biak island, Indonesia.

From a small nursery, your seedling planted by a local community member will grow into a lush tree, vibrant with life and protecting the shores.

So far, we’ve planted over 55,000 trees already.

Thank you for helping us grow more trees.

Here’s to real feel-good jewelry!
Evi
Responsible Sourcing and Sustainability Manager

PS Want more of those good feels? Check our latest Impact Report here.

 

Sooo impressive, right?

 

About Gardens of the Sun

A big thing about shopping for jewelry, especially anything with gemstones, is that you have to check how the materials were sourced. You likely know about the term “blood diamond,” which refers to diamonds mined in war zones that fund human rights abuses and armed (violent) conflicts against governments. These diamonds are often mined using forced labor, including that of children.

Before my hubby and I got engaged, he hired a local jeweller to design a diamond engagement ring for me, and came across one of my Facebook posts at the time that said NOT to shop for diamonds! The main stone of my engagement ring then turned into a purple-coloured spinel.

That’s one thing you don’t have to worry about with Gardens of the Sun. Ethics and sustainability are the core values of the brand. Meri Orth, the company’s founder, fulfilled her dream to create a 100% ethical jewelry line so you can shop guilt-free.

She’s got an amazing story. After leaving a career in international development, she moved to Bali, Indonesia and started creating jewelry from her spare bedroom.

Since 2018, GOTS has become a vehicle to help Indigenous people be a part of the global economy.

Other bonus points:

• No mercury. I learned this is the #1 problem in artisanal gold mining; exposure causes still-births and birth defects. Artisanal female miners extract GOTS’s alluvial gold
• No endangerment of forests and wildlife
• No obscure supply chains. GOTS supports artisanal miners and independent cutters
• Eco-friendly packaging
• They plant five trees with every purchase in Biak Island through Eden Reforestation Projects, and have other give-back initiatives that have raised over $22,000.
• You can view their annual impact reports—a must for companies that are B Corp certified. The impact page has lots of info on their values, sourcing principles, materials, packaging, and office culture.

 

That copy, though!

I gotta give a shoutout to GOTS for the copy in their booklet/insert and cards. Most consumers probably won’t notice this, but I give them a virtual applause for the conversational tone. Businesses take heed!

About:

At Gardens of the Sun, we create jewelry to shake things up, gently. We’re a women-owned business dismantling the status quo by transforming destructive practices into positive impact. We clean supply chains, empower women and jumpstart economies.

Here, every decision made is planet-friendly. Every piece of jewelry connects you to a bigger purpose.

 

DIAMOND factoids:

…the diamond is a hard-knock-ride-or-die-4eva kinda rock.

NAMESAKE: The Greek adamas, meaning ‘untamed’ or ‘unbreakable.’ Oh yeah baby.

TOUCH LOVE LEVEL: 10/10 Mohs scale of hardness. She’s a hard-knock rock, alright.

…stay on the sunny side of life. But that ain’t too hard when you’ve got your diamond sidekick with you.

USE FOR …channelling your inner Marilyn Monroe, dousing yourself with champagne, naked, save for your bling

 

I LOVE my rings from GOTS and look forward to wearing them every day. The price points are also super reasonable, and you can even purchase engagement and wedding bands and a variety of ring boxes—again, without having to worry about whether anyone was harmed in the making of your special items.

They ship items from Indonesia. If you don’t find what you’re looking for locally this holiday and ethics is important to you (which it should be!), you can rest easy knowing that what you get from GOTS has a light footprint on people and the planet. I’ve got five more fingers to ring up, so GOTS’s an easy choice.

GOTS has generously offered $20 off all orders of $99 or more using code “SANDRANOMOTO” before June 15, 2024. One offer per customer.

Website: gardensofthesun.com
Facebook: Facebook.com/GardensoftheSun (all clients get invited to their exclusive Facebook group)
Instagram: @gardensofthesun
Twitter: @gardensofthesun
TikTok: @gardensofthesun
Threads: @gardensofthesun
Pinterest: Pinterest.com/gardensofthesun
YouTube.com/@gardensofthesun