Resources: Gem and Mining People Going Fair Trade
Here are a few gem and mining sources which are working toward fair trade or already operating on that basis. There are many companies in the firstworld that are producing environmentally responsible gems, but I focus here on those I know that are doing the mining in developing countries.
To add your company, send us an email telling us what you are doing in your field to support Fair Trade, Fair Trade Jewelry, Socially Responsible Business and Eco-Friendly Manufacturing.
Gem and Mining Resources: (There are many companies in the firstworld that are producing environmentally responsible gems, but I focus here on those I know that are doing the mining in developing countries.)
Gems
Columbia Gem House & Eric Braunwart (Wholesale)
www.columbiagemhouse.com
Eric offers perhaps the largest section of fair trade gems available. He has developed criteria and an extensive program behind his work and has his own fair trade mine. He was one of the earliest to get involved with fair trade issues and remains one of its most important spokesman. He also has Tri-Gem Designs, home of Fair Trade Gems at fairtradegems.com
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The Rapaport Group (Diamond Industry)
http://www.diamonds.net/” http://www.diamonds.net/
Martin Rapaport, founder of the Rapaport Group. Martin sponsors the Fair Trade meetings that he held at the JCK Shows. He is currently trying to lay the infrastructure for fair trade diamonds mining out of Sierra Leone.
The Rapaport Group hired Amanda Stark whose title in the organization is “Fair Trade Development.”
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Ronald Ringsrud Co (Emeralds)
www.emeraldmine.com
Supporting charity projects in Colombia for over 15 years. In 2005, Ronald was invited to a ground breaking meeting in Washington DC, hosted by the World Bank and CASM (Communities and Small-scale Mining). In that meeting Fair Trade guidelines for diamonds and colored stones were set. Ron is now working with Fedesmeraldas (National Federation of Colombian Emeralds) in Bogota to establish Fair Trade practices in Colombia.
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Mining
The Association for Responsible Mining, ARM (Independent, global-scale effort, and pioneer initiative)
www.communitymining.org/
Created as an international and multi-institutional organization to bring credibility, transparency and legitimacy to the development of a framework for responsible artisanal and small-scale mining. They are currently producing certified “green gold” in developing countries.
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Hoover and Strong (Refininers and Raw Materials)
www.hooverandstrong.com/
This company, in business for nearly a hundred years, is the preferred metal source for many jewelers concerned about “dirty gold.” Hoover and Strong sells only “Ecogold” which stands for gold refined in the most environmentally friendly fashion possible.
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2 Responses to “Resources: Gem and Mining People Going Fair Trade”
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Hi Marc:
Columbia Gem House has another site that gives more details of the company’s fair trade principles. It’s www dot fairtradegems dot com. Also here’s how to get to Modern Jeweler’s special section on the topic, which also includes profiles of people who are trying to make a difference, including Michael Kowalski of Tiffany, Torry Hoover, Eric Braunwart, Toby Pomeroy, Frank Stillwater, and, of course, Marc Choyt! It’s at www dot modernjeweler dot com/print/Modern-Jeweler/Making-a-Difference/1$192
Hi Cheryl,
Thanks for the comment. We will add it to the information on Eric.
One thing that was fascinating about the Rapaport Fair Trade meeting was a discussion of the use of the word, “Fair Trade.” Caren Holzman from Transfair USA was on the panel and none of us are technically doing “Fair Trade” according them because we are not independently monitored by a third party, such as TransFair USA. This raised the issue of whether or not we should use the term “Fair Trade” which is increasingly being used. Caren was concerned about it diluting the brand.
On the other hand, it will be some time before TransFair even can consider jewelry manufacturing.
This leaves the topic up for discussion as to whether the term should even be used now. Who owns the term Fair Trade? How can we prevent “Fair Wash,” a close cousin of “Green Wash?”
Right now, those of us involved early are passionate and real about these things and the trade as a whole is not paying much attention to it, so Fair Wash is not that much of an issue. In the future it could be.
Marc Choyt