Brittany Groshong started Valley Rose with just $10,000 in savings in her garage five years ago.
Now, the Brooklyn-based jewelry company is making headlines for its take on how the world's diamonds and gold are made.
"The story behind the sparkling engagement tradition is a long history of politics, capitalistic greed, and propagandist marketing," Groshong writes on the company's website.
"Consumers are being exposed to the most invasive kind of ''Eco-Theater' that fails to address the complex social and environmental issues within the industry, allowing these atrocities to continue unfettered."
Groshong's research revealed that mainstream "ethical" materials like recycled gold and "conflict-free" marks like the Kimberley Process' mark "have absolutely no impact on the current crisis the jewelry industry faces," she writes.
That's why Valley Rose's Sustainable Engagement Ring Collection is "committed to making sustainability beautiful," Groshong says in a Q&A on the company's website.
For example, Valley Rose's diamond collection is certified real, meaning it's " chemically and physically identical to diamonds mined from the ground," she says.
The company also partnered with WD Lab Grown diamonds, the first 100% Climate Neutral SCS-007
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