Erica Courtney®, Always Gorgeous, Glamorous and Green
Erica Courtney, long revered for her Drop Dead Gorgeous® jewels, has always strived to utilize the most socially and environmentally responsible manufacturing processes. This year she has taken her commitment to protecting the environment one step farther by choosing recycled metals, eco-friendly processes and the most ethically obtained gems.
Thus her new slogan, “Always Gorgeous, Glamorous and Green.”
Diamond Ring By Erica Courtney
In order to diminish environmental impact, Courtney only purchases from suppliers that utilize ethically refined precious metals and also highly encourages her clients to bring in gemstones from their own jewelry collections to be recreated into one of her unique designs. Recycled jewelry minimizes the demand for mining, preserving the land and sustaining wildlife habitats.
About one-third of Courtney’s collection features high-quality cultured pearls which is a very low eco-impact gemstone choice. Pearls do not require any mining or chemical leaching, thus bearing no harm to the environment. Pearl oysters also serve a vital role in our ecosystem by helping to cleanse the waters by filtering nitrogen and heavy metals from polluted waters.
Pearl Ring By Erica Courtney
Erica also believes in designing jewelry with only the most gorgeous “green” jewels. In 2008, Courtney designed her entire Red Carpet Collection around Tanzanite, a rare stone found solely in Tanzania, Africa.
The environment friendly excavation efforts to unveil this stunning blue/purple stone have been a major contributing financial resource for the communities surrounding the mining areas. Such efforts provide the community with materials to improve their fresh water system and food source, as well as sponsored projects to regenerate the local economy.
Erica Courtney also traveled to Turkey earlier this month to visit a Zultanite mine to learn more about this breathtaking gem and observe how it is mined. Zultanite is a natural gem with no chemical enhancements and does not require any chemicals to recover it from the tunnels. The Zultanite mine’s underground operations minimally impact the natural surface and in order to preserve the mountain’s soil the mine owners plant 10 new trees for every tree lost.
Erica Courtney continues to focus on creating eco-friendly jewelry. Her ability to use the purest and most beautiful gems, pearls, and precious metals in her collection while benefiting the environment keeps her endlessly inspired.
The Company is pleased to announce the upcoming debut of Erica Courtney’s new Drop Dead Gorgeous® Zultanite collection at the 2011 Centurion show in Tucson, AZ in February.
To learn more about these diamond rings, visit Erica Courtney.
