Buy This Now: Christy Fisher earrings

Christy Fisher earrings

$12

You know that scene in Rambo: First Blood Part II when the loathsome communists dip Rambo in raw sewage and tie a sack with a rat in it to his head? That's like a three-day weekend for the children in West Africa who harvest diamonds for the DeBeers diamond cartel. Forced labor, severed limbs, thousands of displaced families--diamonds are forever unless you're a helpless African child who can be chain-whipped into obedience. Then they're only worth a tepid bowl of gruel.

So now that we're feeling sufficiently guilty about our shameless love of bling-bling, let's look ahead to Valentine's Day. There's always the tried-and-true heart-shaped box of mystery chocolates (a gift that essentially says, "Hey, um, thanks for staying out of my way for the most part"), but jewelry--particularly diamond-crusted jewelry--remains the multi-carat yardstick by which all expressions of love and affection will be judged.

Enter Christy Fisher--artisan, liberator of child laborers and crafter of eco-friendly jewelry. Based in Jerome, Ariz., Fisher fashions earrings, necklaces, bracelets and rings out of sterling silver and recycled glass. The finished products are exquisite--sturdy enough for daily wear but elegant enough for fancy occasions like debutante balls and swinger parties. Fisher's website features dozens of designs and allows customers full control over their color choices (although it's often best to pick a base color and let Fisher do her thing). It usually takes her at least a week to process orders, so get online and buy your way to guilt-free Valentine's Day bliss at www.christyfisher.com.--Newt Briggs