HAVE YOU SEEN THE "Only Natural Diamonds" COMMERCIALS?

The Natural Diamond Council enlisted celebrities like Ana de Armas and Lily James to model gorgeous diamond jewelry while pressing the importance of only buying natural diamonds.

It's no surprise who's behind this campaign...

10K GOLD IS HAVING A MOMENT. IT'S BEEN DUBBED AFFORDABLE LUXURY.

LET'S UNPACK THAT...

10k gold is technically the lowest karat of gold that's still considered "fine" so marketing it as fine jewelry is fair. However, if you don't know what karat gold is, then it's hard to be an informed shopper...

WHAT IS SOLID GOLD?

Solid gold is a term used for various designations of karat gold. The purest form of gold is 24 karat, meaning 24 out of 24 parts, or 99.999%, is gold.

All other karats of gold are technically gold alloys, meaning it's a mixture of gold and other metals. For example, 14k gold is 14 parts pure (99.999%) gold and...

DO YOU KNOW?

I conducted a poll on my Instagram,👉🏻 @ivjewelry, asking people if they knew the origin story of the diamond engagement ring. I was surprised to see how few people are familiar with it! The truth is, the beginnings of this tradition aren't as romantic as one anticipates. Here are the results...

AN EASY STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO CLEANING YOUR STERLING SILVER (AND SOLID GOLD) JEWELRY WITH EVERYDAY HOUSEHOLD ITEMS

Tarnish, ugh. The culprit behind dull grey silver jewelry and many frowny faces, but did you know it's just a simple reaction between silver and sulfur in the air?

Silver + Sulfur → Silver Sulfide

When you put tarnished jewelry into an aluminum foil bowl and add baking soda + boiling water you trigger a reaction between...

LET'S START HERE.

The stories of an earth-grown diamond and a shiny 14k gold band both begin in a mine. Mining is the extraction of minerals and other geological materials from deposits far beneath the earth’s surface. Gold, diamonds, and other gemstones are mined worldwide, with the vast majority coming from small-scale artisanal operations, often within the informal sector.

It’s estimated that about 90 million carats of rough diamonds and 1,600 tons of gold are mined for jewelry every year, generating over $300 billion in revenue. When sustainability is a top priority for a consumer...

Sustainability is a hot topic. Scientific facts, accessibility, financial privilege, personal opinion, you name it and there’s plenty to read about on the internet. If you’re like me, time spent learning about climate change has shocked and motivated you to voluntarily make changes in your own life.

In the span of five years I've done a lot to re-adjust my mindset and habits, but I still feel like there's so much to do. One thing I know for sure though,...

It’s time to talk about greenwashing.
Because slapping a green label on a product doesn’t mean it’s eco-friendly, amiright?

The word is out and corporations are taking notice that consumers are making sustainability a top priority, and that is a powerful thing. According to Nielsen's Global Corporate Sustainability Report, 66% of consumers would spend more money on a product coming from a sustainable brand and among millennials that number jumps to 72%. You know what that means? That means when consumers talk, big business listens...

MINIMALIST [min-i-mal-ist]
adjective. Being or offering no more than what is required essential.

HOW DOES IRINA VICTORIA JEWELRY PRACTICE MINIMALISM?

Embrace slow fashion. We’re all familiar with the cheap prices, high volume sales, quick turnover and wasteful model of fast fashion, right? Well let us introduce you to Slow Fashion: it prioritizes craftsmanship, quality, customer service and low-waste practices. We intentionally create our jewelry made-to-order or in small batches (no more than 10 pieces) to decrease the amount of “stuff” we accumulate and waste we produce. Designs are priced to reflect the fair market value of materials, living wage labor and the care that is put into each piece...

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A LAB GROWN DIAMOND AND A NATURALLY GROWN DIAMOND?

The one difference between the two is origin. One is grown in a lab and one below the Earth’s surface.

HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?

A lab grown diamond is made with technology that replicates the process of a naturally made diamond by simulating the conditions of extreme heat and pressure. The result is...