As with any conscious purchase, I did a lot of research before taking the plunge with a pair of timeless, sustainable gold hoop earrings. Most environmentally friendly and ethical fine jewelry has a higher price. I wanted to make sure this purchase supported local businesses that care about the planet and its people. After spending more hours than I care to admit on this list, here are USA-made, ethical, and sustainable gold hoop earrings you can feel good about wearing.
All items check most of these boxes:
Solid 14K and recycled gold
Minimal and suitable for every-day wear
Made in the USA, preferably hand-crafted
Made from locally sourced materials—this is the cherry on top!
Many of the jewelers offer other products, such as engagement rings. Some of the earrings featured in this post are also available in more affordable materials like gold-plated, brass, and silver. You’ll find examples with varying thickness to match your style, and I threw in a bonus section of just gold-plated and vermeil options.
Solid 14K Sustainable Gold Hoop Earrings
Catbird, Big Hoop Dream Earrings $140
Handmade in Brooklyn, NY, this women-owned and operated business offers ethically sourced and conflict-free pieces. Catbird has a notable equity pledge of increasing their support of Black-owned jewelers and team representation of BIPOC and Black employees.
Bagatiba, 3M Hoops $200
Handcrafted in Los Angeles, CA, Bagatiba is a female-owned business that crafts their 14K charms from deadstock preproduced, recycled, and remolded locally sourced materials. Their sustainability initiatives include ethical working conditions and eliminating single-use plastics.
Gjenmi, Large NY Hoop $252
Handcrafted in Los Angeles, CA, they pride themselves in using high-quality, conflict-free materials. You may have seen their trendy pieces at Madewell or Amourt Verte.
Vrai, 15MM Huggie Hoops $280
Sustainably made in Los Angeles, CA, Vrai doesn’t practice mining. They use recycled metals, and the primary source of their gold is from old jewelry and scrap gold purchases from customers. Their refining process has the same properties as newly mined metals but without the negative environmental consequences. Vrai also has its own diamond foundry, which is the only producer certified with zero carbon footprint. Oh, and Leonardo Dicaprio is an investor.
GLDN, Eileen Hoops $285
Handmade to order in La Conner, WA, GLDN uses 90% recycled materials and offers custom-made pieces. They also donate 10% of all profits to philanthropy efforts focused on liberation, education, and community building.
Zoë Chicco, Thin Double Hoops $295
Handmade in Los Angeles, CA, with a dedication to recycled and ethically sourced materials, including fairminded diamonds. Known in the LA community for its ethical wages, Zoë Chicco’s studio offers competitive salaries, healthcare, paid vacation, and parental leave. Daily, the studio aims to be environmentally-focused.
Bario Neal, Circ Hoops, $455
Handcrafted in Philadelphia, PA, Bario Neal is a women-owned and proud feminist business producing long-lasting jewelry with ethical origins. They use carefully sourced recycled metals processed by refiners in the United States.
Brilliant Earth, 4M Executive Hoop $525
Handcrafted in the USA and designed in San Francisco, Brilliant Earth sources their recycled precious metals from certified responsible refiners. Known as the standard for conflict-free diamonds, they donate 5% of net profits to mining communities and environmental efforts.
Aurate, Gold Twist Hoop $1,200
Handmade to order in New York City, NY, Aurate’s gold is made from locally and ethically sourced materials. They only use family-run farms that give back to their local communities. The business gives back by donating a book in your name to a child in need for every gold purchase.
14K-Plated/Vermeil Sustainable Gold Hoop Earrings
Agmes, Mini Leila Hoops $230
Handmade in New York City, NY, from recycled precious materials, Agmes practices a zero-waste manufacturing approach. They’re committed to philanthropy efforts, like giving back a percentage of proceeds to the ACLU.
Dear Survivor, Crete Hoop $162
Manufactured in the USA with ethical factory partners, Dear Survivor makes their designs from upcycled and sustainable materials. They create positive change by giving back a portion of every sale to GenerateHope, who fight against human trafficking.
Able, Muse Hoop $48
Handmade in Nashville, TN, Able sources its materials from US-based vendors for better ethical and sustainable standards visibility. They send all of their scrap metal from the protection process to a refinery that recycles it into new metals.
Conscious consumerism can make conflict-free jewelry the standard
Much of today’s gold jewelry is sourced irresponsibly and at a terrible cost to the planet and humans. From toxic chemicals affecting air quality to disturbing natural eco-systems, gold mining has been a dirty environmental secret for centuries. Thankfully, with the help of conscious consumers like yourself, the industry is waking up. As long as we continue to support businesses with sustainable and ethical practices, conflict-free jewelry will become the standard.
If you’d like more sustainability information, head on over to my LinkedIn.