Eco-Friendly
Margaux Day
The Search for an Eco-Friendly Engagement Ring in Cleveland, OH
When my fiancé and I discussed marriage in the past, we did not have clear ideas about size of the wedding, location, date, or decor. However, what we always agreed upon is that we needed to buy sustainable wedding rings. The epic search began.
Our greatest concerns were conflict diamonds and harmful mining practices. A conflict diamond is a diamond that originates from conflict areas and is used to fund military actions. The United Nations has a particular focus on how diamonds have, and continue to fuel, conflict in central and western Africa. In addition, while not all mining practices are equal, we understand that no mining is eco-friendly. With these concerns in mind, my fiancé and I decided to find antique rings.
Not having antique rings available to us from family members, and never having been antique shopping before, I resorted to Google. After many searches including terms such as, "estate jewelry," "antiques," and "Cleveland," I came across www.larchmere.com, Shaker Heights' antique district.
Larchmere Boulevard is a collection of antique stores, consignment shops, bookstores, an Oriental rug shop, small cafés, bars, and more. The Larchmere Merchants Association, comprised of owners of enterprises on Larchmere Blvd., works to keep the area a fabulous arts and antiques district. The one shop on the Larchmere website that advertises having fine jewelry is John L. Young, Inc.
We went to Larchmere on a Saturday. We visited a few antique stores and perused the stock of furniture and art, but we did not find antique jewelry that fit our taste. We took a break and ate brunch at Flying Cranes, a small café with a Japanese flair that has a variety of vegetarian options. After, we finally found the diamond in the rough, John L. Young, Inc.
John L. Young, Inc. is owned by 67-year-old John Young, a man who has worked as a gemologist in Cleveland for the past 40 or so years. What impressed us first is the in-store selection. There were a few cases stocked with yellow gold, white gold, and platinum rings that held diamonds, rubies, sapphires, and emeralds. The prices ranged considerably. We saw a single-diamond white-gold engagement ring for about $500, and there was also a 3.5 karat diamond ring selling for closer to $20,000.
And then Mr. Young told us that he does most of his business from pieces not shown in his store. He promised that he can find you what you are looking for, and he told us examples of various customers who had very specific requests.
This is not the place to shop if you want to be left alone to make decisions by yourself. Young will engage you, and you will be thankful that he did. He knew the history behind much of the jewelry, and he could explain interesting details about the rings that helped an amateur such as me to have a better understanding of my options. He was patient as I tried on many rings, and he did not try to push the expensive rings on us.
It was not until after we put an engagement ring and wedding band on hold and left that it dawned on me, "AltOhio readers need to know about this!" John L. Young, Inc. has beautiful antique jewelry at a wide variety of price ranges. Thus, whether you are looking for antique jewelry to be eco-friendly, or just because you want to purchase a timeless piece, John L. Young, Inc. is a must visit. Just make sure you slate at least an hour of your time to chat with him as you shop.
Our greatest concerns were conflict diamonds and harmful mining practices. A conflict diamond is a diamond that originates from conflict areas and is used to fund military actions. The United Nations has a particular focus on how diamonds have, and continue to fuel, conflict in central and western Africa. In addition, while not all mining practices are equal, we understand that no mining is eco-friendly. With these concerns in mind, my fiancé and I decided to find antique rings.
Not having antique rings available to us from family members, and never having been antique shopping before, I resorted to Google. After many searches including terms such as, "estate jewelry," "antiques," and "Cleveland," I came across www.larchmere.com, Shaker Heights' antique district.
Larchmere Boulevard is a collection of antique stores, consignment shops, bookstores, an Oriental rug shop, small cafés, bars, and more. The Larchmere Merchants Association, comprised of owners of enterprises on Larchmere Blvd., works to keep the area a fabulous arts and antiques district. The one shop on the Larchmere website that advertises having fine jewelry is John L. Young, Inc.
We went to Larchmere on a Saturday. We visited a few antique stores and perused the stock of furniture and art, but we did not find antique jewelry that fit our taste. We took a break and ate brunch at Flying Cranes, a small café with a Japanese flair that has a variety of vegetarian options. After, we finally found the diamond in the rough, John L. Young, Inc.
John L. Young, Inc. is owned by 67-year-old John Young, a man who has worked as a gemologist in Cleveland for the past 40 or so years. What impressed us first is the in-store selection. There were a few cases stocked with yellow gold, white gold, and platinum rings that held diamonds, rubies, sapphires, and emeralds. The prices ranged considerably. We saw a single-diamond white-gold engagement ring for about $500, and there was also a 3.5 karat diamond ring selling for closer to $20,000.
And then Mr. Young told us that he does most of his business from pieces not shown in his store. He promised that he can find you what you are looking for, and he told us examples of various customers who had very specific requests.
This is not the place to shop if you want to be left alone to make decisions by yourself. Young will engage you, and you will be thankful that he did. He knew the history behind much of the jewelry, and he could explain interesting details about the rings that helped an amateur such as me to have a better understanding of my options. He was patient as I tried on many rings, and he did not try to push the expensive rings on us.
It was not until after we put an engagement ring and wedding band on hold and left that it dawned on me, "AltOhio readers need to know about this!" John L. Young, Inc. has beautiful antique jewelry at a wide variety of price ranges. Thus, whether you are looking for antique jewelry to be eco-friendly, or just because you want to purchase a timeless piece, John L. Young, Inc. is a must visit. Just make sure you slate at least an hour of your time to chat with him as you shop.
