[Saz]

Hey,<br><br><br><br>
My boyfriend went to China about a month ago. He bought me some pearl earings.... I just didn't think... they are pretty..<br><br><br><br>
Then the other day it dawned on me ..."PEARLS ARENT VEGAN!" ... lol...<br><br><br><br>
So now what? I'm sure he just didn't think of it either... I would have happily warn them unaware... but now I just realised and I don't know whether to wear them or not. I don't want to upset him AND I like to have a sentimental little thing to remind me of him all the time... but... I don't want to tag myself with animal stuff... I'll be walking around knowing I have death inserted into holes in my ears... and I'd feel like a hypocrite.<br><br><br><br>
What would you do?<br><br><br><br>
Saz x<br><br><br><br>
P.S. I even let a gnat out today... instead of squashing it like most people do. So it isn't like I disregard the little ones.

 

[Misty]

I'm not vegan, but I do make a point of not buying leather, silk, wool and I always buy cruelty free - animal product free make up etc. I do own a leather belt however and I don't even know where it came from (i didn't buy it) but I do wear it, because it's the only belt i own and my ass keeps shrinking.. somethings gotta hold my pants up. I think if you love the earrings, wear them.. If you are against them, put them in a jewellery box and keep them, but explain to your boyfried why you rather not wear them. I think it's too late for the oysters to care.

 

[GhostUser]

i would wear them.<br><br>
throwing them away would be wasteful. donating them might make someone buy a matching necklace. the safest place for animal stuff is in the hands of veg*ns, IMO. a vegan would fully understand the significance of the earrings, to anyone else they would be just earrings.

 

[VeggieMath]

I would say, someone special gave them to you, so keep them. I don't wear leather and everyone I know is aware of that, but I have a wool sweater that my grandmother gave me. I don't wear it because it's not that cool here, but I will keep it because it's the last thing grandma gave me. Someday, I might meet someone special enough to pass it to. For now, it is in a box in my apartment. (I am also Vegan by the way). I just think we have to take gifts how/when we can get them. Don't diss someone special just because they weren't thinking about it the same AR way that we do often.

 

[MaryC1999]

I go with wear them too.<br><br>
6 years ago when my husband asked me to marry him he gave me a lovely diamond ring. I happily accepted it and found out, years later, about blood diamonds. Now, this diamond has every liklihood of being a blood diamond. Sort of a 50-50 shot. He went through a nice jeweler but they don't do the Kimberly process (I think it's called) to try and screen out feud diamonds. So my engagement ring could've been the suffering of someone else. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/sad.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=""><br><br>
Given the choice now with the knowledge I have, I'd have asked for a sapphire or another gemstone instead BUT I didn't know and neither did he. Of course I wear my engagement ring, it means more to me than the gemstone. You should wear your earrings too. They don't represent death, they represent love. There's a difference.<br><br>
(My birthstone is a pearl too. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/undecided.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=":-/"> There's an alternate purple stone I try to opt for though)<br><br>
Mary

 

[LittleMistweave]

I think wearing them would be ok if you like them because a pearl can be gotten out without hurting the oyster or clam. And they are just pieces of sand that hurt them anyway so taking it away is getting a few hundred year old problem out of it's mouth. Think of it this way, if you had something that hurt in your teeth would you want someone to get it out or leave it there?

 

[Saz]

I didn't know how they got it... I thought they would just go in a crack open a load of oysters killing them...<br><br><br><br>
But I think the best thing is to wear them too <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/smiley.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=""> Like Mary said, they don't represent death... it's representing love! <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/smiley.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=""> It wouldn't matter what they looked like... I'd still think they were pretty, because he gave them to me.<br><br><br><br>
Thank you all.<br><br><br><br><br><br>
Saz x

 

[GhostUser]

<div class="quote-container"><span>Quote:</span>
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by <strong>Saz</strong> <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a><br><br>
I didn't know how they got it... I thought they would just go in a crack open a load of oysters killing them...<br><br><br><br>
But I think the best thing is to wear them too <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/smiley.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=""> Like Mary said, they don't represent death... it's representing love! <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/smiley.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=""> It wouldn't matter what they looked like... I'd still think they were pretty, because he gave them to me.<br><br><br><br>
Thank you all.<br><br><br><br><br><br>
Saz x</div>
</div>
<br><br><br>
they do kill them, AFAIK.<br><br><br><br>
I hope you wear and enjoy them, because unlike other people, you appreiciate them.<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/love.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="">

 

[Lelena]

I guess I have a totally different view. I would definitely not wear them. I was in a similar position with some jewelry from my great grand-aunt, but when I became vegan I stopped wearing them. I still own the jewelry, it's hidden away in a box, but I could never wear them again. If it was part of an animal I would have thrown it away or buried it where it belonged.

 

[Blue Plastic Straw]

<div class="quote-container"><span>Quote:</span>
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by <strong>purrpelle</strong> <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a><br><br>
they do kill them, AFAIK.<br></div>
</div>
<br><br><br>
It depends on the type of pearl. The vast majority of pearls are harvested by shucking the oyster. Tahitian pearls are produced by oysters which are more rare, so they are harvested without killing the oyster. Of course, it's not as if they send them on their merry way after removing the pearl. They are renucleated and put back in the water to grow a new pearl.

 

[dizzyupthemeg]

I would keep them. I'm not sure if I would wear them or not but it's something important to you that was from someone you really care about.<br><br>
Giving them away will just mean someone else is wearing them, and on that someone else they won't have any meaning.