First Kanye West and Jamie Foxx, now gold diggers have upset environmentalists and economists. It’s been like 1849 online with blogs abuzz over gold prices, prospectors and water use in California.

The precious metal is priced at a record dollar high now, thanks in part to China and India snapping up gold reserves. Panic and pricing like that drives laid-off Californians to go panning and miners to “explore,” sometimes damaging the farthest corners of the Earth to get gold.

Eco- and business-bloggers alike want to know: Is the “value” of the ore real, especially since jewelry demand declined in the recession, and industrial demand for gold can often be met with other materials?

A fashion and custom jewelry designer, Lisa Linhardt, of Linhardt Design in New York City, says lots of bling seekers have no idea what environmental impact their fashion choices have until they find her. Focused on making “beautiful, sculptural pieces” first, she is also a green gold jeweler, in a good way.

Linhardt buys 100% recycled gold from casting houses and refineries that extract it from post consumer material, not newly-mined. She can also melt the jewelry you never wear to form something new in her studio (constructed with reclaimed barn wood). Gold’s value is real, she believes, but the industry needs a makeover.

Other designers should demand “Strict gold certification so we know what we’re buying is 100% recycled, and that the labor involved is fair trade,” she suggests. For now, she’s willing to do the original research and footwork herself.

Basic Reading:

“Jewelers are increasingly concerned about young shoppers who are becoming more educated about the impact of their purchasing decisions…” - GreenBiz.com feature on Cartier’s buying more responsibly-mined gold

“Gold is unlike any other commodity. It is costly to extract from the earth and to refine to a reasonable degree of purity. It is costly to store. It has no remaining uses as a producer good – equivalent or superior alternatives exist for all its industrial uses…Surprisingly people like to attach it to their earlobes or nostrils or to hang it around their necks.”- Financial Times blog entry discussing the true value of gold

“Many want to hide the unsavory aspects of how business is conducted in the jewelry industry. But a Blue Sky approach would have us differentiate ourselves by eliminating anything that disguises, hides or obfuscates practices within our industry. We want to differentiate ourselves by being upfront and having full disclosure. Then we want to advertise where we are supporting fair and ethical practices.” – An open letter to jewelers on how to deal with the “dirty” gold issue in FairJewelry.org

“Driven by record-high gold prices – [recently] $1,056 an ounce, double that of just three years ago – prospectors are flocking to the state… Gold mining permits, or claims, on file with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management for California have shot from 15,606 in 2005 to 23,974 this year…” – San Francisco Chronicle story on the New California Gold Rush

“California’s second gold rush has also created one recession-proof business. Keene Engineering of Chatsworth, Calif., makes the equipment you need to find gold – from plastic pans to large commercial rigs. The owners say their business has doubled…”- NBC Los Angeles segment on Gold Prospectors in Southern California

Further resources:

MotherJones feature on the history of land use in California

The official homepage of the No Dirty Gold campaign lead by Oxfam and Earthworks

A Geology.com guide to the many uses of gold

A Wall Street Journal story on a predicted rise in demand for gold jewelry

This is the third installment of EcoMeme, a column featuring eco news, tech and business highlights by new EcoSalon writer and columnist Lora Kolodny.

Image: courtesy Linhardt Design Studio

The people in my neighborhood really get into Halloween whether they’ve got their own little ghouls and goblins or not, proving the most fun night of the year is for the kid in all of us. You know, that kid who is addicted to Halloween chocolate!

I’m big on using decor to lift my spirits each fall, ideally with the surfeit of tools and supplies stashed in my green storage bins rather than ready-made plastic junk on the shelves of stores.

I found inspiration in Etsy’s Voter Page for the best Handmade Halloween items, from spooky bloodshot eyes (which get my vote) to crocheted spiders and DIY costumes. Go to the site and place your vote.

Here’s a look at some of the amazing crafts whipped up in kitchens across America:

Mister Skully Hand Carved Stamps by Tresijas

These cool articulating jaw motifs were made into stamps (salvaged manzanita, foam and rubber) that you can use to create Halloween art for your windows, doors or other creepy places.

Lost Zombie Brooch by CityroadFelt

“I made him using felt from a lovely stripey sweater, along with bits of wool blend felt, & beads & thread – designed by my partner, who is much more into zombies and such things than I – I think he’s quite proud of the end product, too!”

Crocheted Spider Web by Spacestitch

Like the spider web but want to make it yourself? But of course! See the Spider Web Crochet Pattern here.

Gaggle of Spooky  Ghosts Prints by Luminous Dreams Designs

“The ghost was hand drawn, inked then scanned where he was given different grungy digital backgrounds,” explains the artist.

Upcycled Pumpkin Hat by Imogens Garden

“I raided my son’s clean laundry pile to construct this hat from a recently outgrown thermal shirt,” explains the maker. “The flower is created from scraps from my studio, and the button embellishment came from the shirt. No more thermal shirts = a one of a kind garment.”

Main Image: Work of Whimsy

No one growing up during the upbeat, Mattel-directed Sixties figures they’ll be worse off in middle age, forced to scrounge harder for work, buy less, live smaller.

Those Barbie songs my sister and I sang along to in our pink and green room constituted teenage visions of a supercalifragelistic future that we owned, co-starring Dick Van Dyke, four kids, a shiny Lincoln and full-service yacht.

“Here’s a cake, that you and I can make, I’ll share the recipe, if you say yes to me.”

But due to the recession and soaring costs of raising two girls in the city, I’m singing a different tune today on my birthday. Sure, I married Ken, but where are the other Camelot conquests I was guaranteed?

Gone is the wine country home, jaunts to spas on a whim, the black velvet boxes concealing gems he bought for me with cash from cases he settled.

Despite the unexpected Barbie plot twist, I can’t help but feel a deep sense of gratitude as I take inventory of what I do have.

For instance, I spotted a gold necklace on Fillmore Street with a round charm that that bore the words I am completely blessed. I didn’t dare buy the $600 trinket but I have kept the affirmation close to my heart.

So, I’ve decided to count my blessings today (my colleague Sarah Irani should know that quite a few of them came free!). Here are a whopping 50, plus one for good luck.

I am completely blessed because…

1. I birthed two healthy, spectacular daughters who teach me something new each day.

2. I married a great father.

3.  I follow my bliss every day that I write.

4. My girls are strapping amazons because God gave me super human breast milk.

5. I’m surrounded by friends who are like family.

6.   My mother is still around and down to just one biting criticism of me a day.

7. I am never hungry when I don’t want to be.

8. We live without war in the  streets of San Francisco.

9. I have not been killed by a truck like my brother.

10. My religious faith has connected me to a community of fellow yentas to grow old with.

11. My older sister is an exceptional auntie.

12. My older brother is keeping the family business afloat during rocky times.

13. My pug and cat think I’m their mommy and I am.

14. I married father nature.

15. I’m healthy and strong from exercise and can climb the fence when I get locked out.

16. The builder’s daughter has always had a roof over her head.

17. I have commercial-free TV.

18. I have art on my walls from friends who made it.

19. I have memorized dozens of bedtime songs.

20. My daughters sing the songs I have sung to them.

21. My children are known for being creative and kind.

22. My beloved camera almost always works.

23. My children can read and write and like to do both.

24. My children make me exquisite birthday presents and set a regal table with a tiara at my place.

25. I can walk to the movie theater on Saturday nights.

26. No one at the theater asks me if I want the senior discount.

27. My city has excellent public transportation.

28. I can still see very well when I wear magnified lenses.

29. My mom, who unloads much, has kept her box at the iconic Hollywood Bowl.

30. My children get to use the box at the Hollywood Bowl and hear live music.

31. No menopause yet.

32. Menopause will come sooner or later.

33. I think I’ve seen god.

34. I think god is the miracle of birth.

35. I have learned how to kayak.

36. I have learned Italian.

37. Henna makes me higher than jewelry.

38. I married a great teacher.

39. My husband rarely spends money. When he does, it is on books and candy.

40. I have kept my commitments.

41. I’m in a bad girls book club.

42. My book club is all about the food.

43. Decent chick flicks are still being made, i.e. Julie and Julia.

44. I can grow vegetables in my yard to make soup.

45. I can pick flowers in my yard for table bouquets.

46. I can find stylish Sixties-inspired fashion on sale.

47. My Weight Watchers Guru is a Stanford Nutritionist.

48. I have gained the wisdom to see my own culpability.

49. I was born a healthy female in a rich land.

50. I’m a survivor because my Polish grandparents were survivors.

51. Today is my 51st birthday.

Main image: Sparkleneeley

Second image: Luanne Bradley

This is the fourth in Luanne’s new lifestyle column, Life in the Green Lane.

My partner in Sixties vintage couture crime, artist Joan Davis, called me the other day and said I had to check out Torso Vintages, an ultra cool used couture outlet in San Francisco’s Union Square.

In town just a few days to pedal her flower-powered paintings, Joan had immediately sensed where to dig up archaeological relics of Pucci and Gucci – the way my pug can sniff a German Shepherd or hamburger a mile away.

I jotted down the name to this source for  shifts and clutches. Sure, there are ample consignment shops around in  chic towns like ours, but few sell what connoisseurs consider three dimensional art, i.e. something Jacky O. or Lily Pulitzer would have worn to lunch at Harry’s Bar with the girls. You have to weed through lots of synthetic yardage and depleted, tired boas to find the real gems.

As it turns out, the source she told me about is among the vendors strutting their fabulous stuff on the hottest new online boutique for the real McCoys of vintage fashion style.

Yes, hopeless fashion romantics such as Joan and I are the types 1st Dibs is banking on to do for Geoffrey Beene A-line cloaks and YSL Jockey Hats (above)  what the Web site did for haute  furnishings: Gather the best offerings from dealers around the world to sell for a range of prices.

That range at 1st Dibs cuts a wide swath:

From the doable after a glass of wine with lunch: Whimsical Pierre Cardin sunglasses from the 1960s. $250.

To the the pretty pricey: 1960s Pucci shift, $400, and Ungaro dress, $650.

To the investment statement: M. Haskell 1940’s Multicolored Fringed Bib Necklace USA, 1940’s. $3,250.

To a taste of  Samantha Jones at Versailles: Hermes Birkin of Matte Black Porosus Crocodile. $65,000.

John Hadeed, owner of Torso Vintages, finds 1st Dibs is helping to put him and others in his stylish field on the map in a big way.

“We’ve had calls and emails from all over the country and the world,” the collector told SF Gate.  “We’re dealing with people who really love clothes.”

Michael Bruno, the clever founder of 1st Dibs, hired vintage couture expert Clair Watson (above) to supervise the fashion site and locate the first dealers. They include seasoned second-hand harvesters with a penchant for Hermes, such as Createurs de Luxe, and the owner of the Way We Wore in Los Angeles, a dealer named Doris Watson who is offering her most precious and rare works of art to the website.

The good news is vintage is on a roll because of the recession and our renewed appreciation for classics over buying new junk made abroad.

Check out the site and see if there is anything you can afford (that’s bigger than a size 2 or 4) to add to your wardrobe. All you do is click on the era that suits you (from Deco to Contemporary).

What’s the best deal you can score on the site? Perhaps an undesirable Chado Ralph Rucci evening bag for $175. This is not the place to pluck the deal of the century.

Main Image: 1st Dibs

Image two: Vintage Shopping Guide

Is there a hole in the heart of that beloved camel cashmere from your freshman year at Stanford?

Don’t become unraveled! The crafty set – people like Stefanie Girard, who wrote Sweater Surgery – take the green approach to spinning yarns, reconfiguring new objects d’smart from those ratty pullovers that once warmed our bones.

Handwash your old sweater (I like to use baby shampoo) and treat it for unsightly coffee or red wine stains. Then circumvent those Jarlsberg cheese holes in the wool and make something cool!

Here’s a look at 10 reclamations, from Ugly Dolls to pretty petal pins:

1. Stuffed Toys

A favorite project at Brandeis Hillel Day School in San Francisco, parents are asked to contribute old sweaters for the students to conjure their own, arty Ugly Dolls. My own 10-year-old, Lauren, made this creature in just a couple of days and they instantly became BBF’s.

2. Bitchen Boatneck

Deborah Lindquist makes her groovy dog wraps from recycled cashmere sweaters, and you can do it, too. Just find a square without holes and make two for the front legs. Then your pet can walk the walk!

3. Beaded Cuff

I love this upscale take on the 70s tennis sweat band. The beaded cuff woven by Olive Brown is simple to make, by cutting your own elongated rectangle from your rescued sweater, stitching the borders and embellishing with beads or other hot glue glam.

4. Pet Bed

Lately, my pug has taken to sleeping in the laundry basket. Why not take your old sweaters and other scraps and make a patchwork pet bed, like Apartment Therapy suggests? Gather an assortment of old sweaters and a pillow and get working on that soft place for your pooch to land.

5. Pullover Coasters

Olive Brown made these from a shrunken woman’s fair aisle v-neck pullover. The set of eight, sold at Etsy, is something you can also try to make by cutting the circles and top-stitching the front, leaving a zigzag stitch on the back. The edges are finished with an overlock stitch.

6. Snuggly Slippers

Follow the footsteps of Craft Stylish, and avoid booties made from yucky  synthetic materials. These old woolen slippers are stitched with love. All you need is paper, a pen, scissors, an old sweater, thread, a machine, a scarp of yarn and a crochet hook. Have fun padding around!

7. Doll Clothes

If you or your child can knit, this book from Amazon provides patterns and ideas. I always loved sewing my own Barbie clothes from discarded items that wound up in our rag box. Let your kids try their hand at Project Runway ensembles using old sweaters. Try some lederhosen for that Heidi doll!

8. Flower Brooch

Thick rose wool felt from a rescued cardigan is paired with a heavy vintage bronze shank button in this classic flower. Found at Etsy, you can arrange your own floral jewelry with scissors, glue and a pin from your neighborhood craft store. Add a center flourish and attach to blazer lapel. You grow, girl!

9. Cell Phone Cozy

Craftbits is calling! Pick up and read the steps for making your own, fetching felted mobile phone pouch with a key ring at the top for attaching to jeans or your purse.

10. Teapot Cozy

We adore these at EcoSalon and even touted the beauty of the pot sweater for Mother’s Day this year. This one from Etsy is ideal because the pretty blue yarn is washable. Accented by a handknit multicolored flower with a vintage button for the center, it’s about 19 inches around and stretches over a 4″-to-6″ teapot. Not handy with a needle? Ask a friend to help.

Main Image: Amazon

There’s more to this arm candy than meets the”¦arm. It’s shiny and pretty and even glamorous, but what the naked eye might miss if it isn’t paying close attention is that this leaf is real.

The Real Leaf Cuff Bracelet from Nugaard Designs is made with a leaf from Brazil that’s hand-dipped in 18K gold ($98) or sterling silver (out of stock) and measures around 2 ¼ x 2 ½ inches. The gold is mined in Brazil where gold reserves are plentiful and mining is monitored by the government.

That’s not all. Nugaard Designs works with Trees for the Future and for each bracelet sold, a tree is planted.

Erica Pacey, a Brazilian native, is the force behind Nugaard Designs. She also created this beautiful Real Leaf Necklace with a hand-dipped leaf hanging from a 30″ chain. Also available in sterling ($89.50) or 18K gold ($98.50), find it along with the Cuff Bracelet at Delight.com.

Today’s Mother’s Day giveaway: this unique twig jewelry tree. Organize your accessories and display them for all to see in ultimate style. Trade in your jumbled jewelry box for this nature-inspired piece, and you’ll never again have to untangle a knot of necklaces, bracelets and earrings. Leave a comment to enter to win!

Before I proceed to all the drool-worthy jewels by Mollie Dash, can I just say, how great is her name? Mollie Dash. It’s a little like “Nancy Drew” – maybe that’s why I think it’s so cool.

Now that you’ve got way too much information on how I spent the majority of my youth, let’s get down to business.

Mollie Dash designs jewelry using “discarded, thrifted, donated and yard sale-derived materials.” The Five Strand Bracelet shown above ($130) is already in my shopping cart. It’s best described by the artist as “a lovely mix of various chains and knotted sections of Ethiopian brass beads”. Lovely is right on, as well as rough and rugged and sexy.

Another unique piece by Mollie Dash is her End of Day Necklace ($125) made using leftover chain scraps from her own studio. The Heart Locket Necklace ($120) is precious and the Triple Chain Necklace ($125) is spectacular; my favorite by far but it’s also sold out, sparing my bank balance.

Eco all around, Dash avoids leather and plastic, and when packaging her wares for shipment, she reuses anything she can find. She’s an artist whose life and home are as green as her work. What a catch and what a name!

During a particularly frustrating period of my life years ago, I was told by a mentor, “It is virtually impossible to be grateful for a lot until you can be grateful for a little.” She went on to suggest I begin searching for the willingness to want what I have.

At first I didn’t get it. What’s the point, I wondered? What I wanted was relief, an explanation or concrete solution for my chronic discontent, not some silly ethereal quote on which to pontificate. But desperation breeds willingness and those of you who’ve had it, well, you know of what I speak.

Fast forward many years and I indeed am profoundly grateful for what I have, the small and big, trivial and tremendous, despite what is lacking.

This dainty Gratitude Necklace from VivaTerra reminds me of that time. The designer got the idea when melting down leftover gold scraps and a hole randomly formed. She engraved “thank you” on the back and threaded it with string.

Voilà! A recycled reminder to be thankful for all things, the Gratitude Necklace is available in gold with a red silk strand ($219) or silver with black ($149).

What are you thankful for today?

Noted Bay Area artist Joan Elan Davis is still working her magic with flowers – but this time she has moved them off the canvas and planted them skillfully onto the wrist. At least that is where they pop and bloom when you buckle on one of her new cuffs introduced for spring 2009. Aren’t they the grooviest? I love the marriage of the elements she has employed.

The retooled leather straps are adorned with found floral forms and other objects that ooze a 70s sensibility, evoking the spirit of those mod wide watches with changeable snapping bands. Mine were patent leather!

In turning to jewelry, Davis took her cue from her wildflower series of paintings now hanging at the Ritz Carlton, Lake Tahoe, and in other prestigious private collections. Adding sparkle are the vintage gems and stones that are tossed into the interesting asymmetrical designs.

“The colorful mix of found objects was inspired by the coming of spring, a time of rebirth and renewal for all of us,” the painter told me.

Davis, who has studios in Tahoe and at the San Francisco design center (across the street from Showplace Square) is known for bold canvases and works on paper like her “power flower” studies in which she expands tiny elements of nature into grand proportions, allowing us a bird’s eye view of what we often take for granted.

In recent years, she moved into the interior design district of San Francisco to collaborate with furniture showrooms like McGuire, which featured her abstract and floral works as backdrop for its modern rattan furnishings earlier this year.

“Designers are creative people who enjoy working with color and style,” Davis observes. “Great creativity goes into designing a home. It’s a real pleasure to be part of that process.”

The one-of-a-kind art cuffs, $50, will be available in April at Joan Davis Art Studios.