Beyond Pride Month:
Inclusivity in the Jewelry Industry
At Angela Monaco Jewelry, we believe that love is love, and every person deserves to live their fairytale—whatever that may look like, and with whomever they chose. As Pride month comes to a close, it’s extremely important to remember that the work doesn’t end with June—there is so much more we can do to create inclusive environments and celebrate love for all in the wedding and jewelry industries. We wanted to share a few habits we practice to champion inclusivity, and outline ways other jewelers, wedding vendors, and YOU can be an ally.
1. Assuming gender or sexual preferences is a big no-no.
No matter how someone presents or appears, you won’t know how they identify until you ask! Here are some ways to ensure you don’t make assumptions.
When meeting a new person, sharing your pronouns first is a great way to show right off the bat that you care about gender expression, and it will create a safe space for them to share theirs. Usually, once you set the precedent and create that safe space, they may share their pronouns with you so you can refer to them correctly. If they choose not to share their pronouns, you can always ask what they like to be called and use the preferred name they provide.
When asking someone if they’re in a romantic relationship or if they have a significant other, try not to use gendered terms like “boyfriend” or “girlfriend”. Instead, you can simply ask if they’re dating anyone special, or if they’ve had any recent love interests. Using the term “partner” is a safe bet as well. After using the term partner, they may offer the term they’d like you to use by repeating it after you.
2. Using the term “Bridal” isn’t truly accurate anymore.
“Brides” and “Grooms” are based off of traditional cis-gender roles. We can’t assume there is a female bride or a male groom, and nor does everyone relate to those terms when celebrating
their union.
These terms are a bit outdated for the current times. It’s much more inclusive to refer to anything having to do with engagement or weddings by using those exact words.
Rings can be called commitment rings, engagement rings, wedding rings, a symbol of love, and so on. Instead of assuming the type of ring or clothing someone would like to wear and point them in a gendered direction, you can always ask, “what do you envision your ring to look like?” or “what do you picture yourself wearing on your special day?”
When brands or vendors use the terms “men’s” or “women’s” when referring to styles of jewelry or clothing, it excludes those who don’t fall into that category. If you’d like to describe larger, more masculine designs, you can say just that! Using terms masculine and feminine can help describe style without assigning a gender to it. Or, you can always display your pieces together, and let the client decide! Browse our classic wedding band styles.
3. Put your money where your heart is.
Using inclusive language is a great first step, but there’s so much more we can all be doing to act as allies and support the community, not just in June, but every single day.
Where you put your dollars matters more than ever. When considering vendors for your wedding, make a point to hire brands that align with your values. Working with a range of vendors from diverse backgrounds is another great way to make your wedding more inclusive of all. Here’s 150+ Black-owned businesses in the wedding industry throughout the U.S. you can consider for your special day.
A great way to get involved is donating to organizations that help fuel change. 15% of proceeds from our pride collection will go directly towards the Marsha P. Johnson Institute (MPJI)—an organization dedicated to protecting and defending the human rights of Black trans folks. Whether you donate personally, through your purchases, or as a business, every dollar can help make a difference.
At the end of the day, it’s the little things that end up making a big difference—asking for pronouns, remembering not to make assumptions on gender or style preferences, and putting your money in the right hands . If there are any ways you think we could be more inclusive, or want to chat more about this topic, we’re all ears. Email us at info@angelamonacojewelry.com.
Love Always,
Angela Monaco Jewelry
Shop the AMJ Pride Collection
15 % of proceeds from this collection will be donated to the Marsha P. Johnson Institute (MPJI), an organization that protects and defends the human rights of black transgender people.