Meghan Markle proves you can be fashionable and environmentally friendly! The internet is going crazy over a pair of lab-grown diamond earrings Markle wore while visiting the London office of Smart Works, People is reporting. The Duchess of Sussex ordered the $806 18-karat gold Felicity earrings from the London-based brand Kimai, which specializes in jewelry made ethically. The way diamonds are normally mined can put a strain on the environment, Kimai says in their mission statement, and “displaces land, wastes water and pollutes the air.” Diamonds grown in a lab, however, are considered much more ethical to wear.
“Her team contacted us, and we sent them to her a month or so ago,” said Kimai co-founder Sidney Neuhaus. “She really loved these earrings.”
Markle appears to really enjoy wearing environmentally-conscious jewelry, having modeled pieces from ethical jewelers Pippa Small and Ecksand while on tour with Prince Harry. In addition, she has also been seen wearing Rothy’s flats, which are made from 100 percent post-consumer plastic water bottles, and Veja sneakers made from wild rubber. She’s also rocked some clothes from Outland Denim, which is a company that employs victims of sex trafficking. Markle recently announced her royal patronages and will be actively supporting organizations that help animals as well as young women.
According to another article from People, Markle announced four official royal patronages on Thursday, January 10, that benefit causes that are important to her. One of her patronages is the National Theatre, one of the U.K.’s most prominent publicly funded performing arts venues — which is an obvious choice for the actress! Then there is the Association of Commonwealth Universities, an organization formed in 1913. It was the first ever international university network, and it is still the only accredited organization representing higher education across the Commonwealth.
Another patronage of Markle’s is Smart Works, which is an organization that helps unemployed women from vulnerable populations obtain jobs by providing training and other tools. Lastly, there is Mayhew, which is an animal welfare organization. With her diverse choice of patronages and her ethical fashion choices, Markle is clearly hoping to make a difference. A statement released from Kensington Palace confirms as much.
“Her Royal Highness feels she can use her position to focus attention on, and make a particular difference to these organizations and, more widely, the sectors they each represent,” the statement read.
Markle has previously worked with organizations like One World Vision to help women and girls living in Dubai and India, as well as served as an ambassador for United Nations Women.
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