Quest for the perfect pair of (sustainable) hoop earrings
I’m a hoops kind of gal.
A lot of women are.
But when one of my worn rain-or-shine, day-or-night, good-times-and-bad, 2-inch silver hoops went missing, I was more than a tad upset. (And I can’t deny that there are at least three little souls, one of them canine, under suspicion for involvement in the curious disappearance.) But life goes on.
Or does it.
To fill the void, I tried some dangly earrings, some stud ones, some square ones - all earrings that had been given to me as gifts or purchased long ago. But none fit the bill; they just didn’t feel like me.
Why didn’t I head to my local mall to pick up a new pair? Because that wouldn’t feel like me, either.
If I was going to buy a new pair, they had to be sustainably crafted.
And thus, my hunt for the perfect pair of eco-hoops began.
It wasn’t as easy as you might think, but reader, I stand before you triumphant.
After three months of looking high and low and testing* various pairs, I’ve compiled a list that will make you and Mother Earth hoop-happy:
Twig hoop earrings from Barbara Michelle Jacobs. Made from recycled silver, molded from actual foliage in Central Park (NYC). The perfect pair of large-sized hoops, with an eco-twist. Not too heavy. $88 from Etsy.
Recycled skateboard big hoop earrings from MapleXO. One of a kind. Made in the Northwest. Lightweight, a dash of fun color. You and your teenage daughter will be fighting over them. $42 at Radish Underground.
Upcycled guitar string earrings from Cheap Date Jewelry. I love the guitar. My dad plays the guitar. My brother plays the guitar. Most of the people who share my DNA play the guitar. So you can imagine how I flipped when I found these hoops. The artist also makes ‘em from mandolin strings (my uncle plays the mandolin!). Be still my beating heart. $20 on Etsy.
Clean & simple recycled silver hoops from Wired Originals. I love big hoops, but sometimes you need something a little more subtle. These hoops are the perfect answer. Hammered recycled silver with a slight oval shape. Handmade. $22 on Etsy.
Upcycled glass hoop earring from Smart Glass. Handcrafted from old bottles. Come in an array of sea-glass colors. My favorite? Green (“pine”) of course. Simple. Sustainable. Smart. $58 at Smart Glass Jewelry.
* All of the earrings featured in this blog post were given to us as samples to try or sold to us at a discount. However, we do not promote or suggest ANY product that we’re not head-over-heels for, unless we tell you so.
