Fair Trade Jewelry

The pioneering UK fair trade jewellery company has launched an exciting new venture called CRED Sources (www.credsources.com). This new business represents a significant breakthrough in the transparency and traceability of the gold supply chain.

Working with the international fair trade movement, CRED Sources will provide fine gold grain, 18ct yellow and white gold in sheet and wire format to the jewellery trade.

Christian Cheesman, CRED’s Business Director says, “We are very excited about this development and the opportunities it presents to the trade and the consumer. We really want the small jewellers, goldsmiths and designer makers to have access to the remarkable developments taking place through the fair trade movement and the social, environmental and transparency revolution that is taking place within our industry”.
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Tags: Announcements, Best Practices, CSR, Diamonds, Environment, Ethical Jewelry, Ethics, Fair Trade Jewelry, Gold, Green Issues, Manufacturing, Mining, Platinum, Rad Transparency, Responsible Mining, Transparency, Trends by Greg Valerio
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Introduction:

Guy Clutterbuck, who was recently featured in the GIA Winter Loop Magazine, has been sourcing gemstones in Africa and around the world for decades.

His relationships with small scale miners, based on trust, is highly unusual and stands in contrast to the generally toxic relationship between the small scale miners and their typical buyer.
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Tags: Diamonds, Environment, Ethics, Fair Trade Gems, Interviews, Rad Transparency, Transparency by Marc Choyt
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An article posted on DTB Online, written by Chaim Even-Zohar reports that Ian Smillie is quitting Partnership Africa Canada and departing from Kimberley’s governing body. No one is more respected in ethical diamond sourcing issues than Ian Smillie. His departure is a major blow to the legitimacy of the Kimberley Process Certification. [Read more →]

Tags: Announcements, Diamonds, Editorial, Environment, Ethical Jewelry, Ethics, Mining, Rad Transparency, Responsible Mining, Transparency, Trends by Marc Choyt
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Introduction:

PT Kapitmas (www.kapitmas.com) was the first company outside of the US to be a Harmony Metal Hoover and Strong distributor. I have worked with this company for ten years and visited their plant on numerous occasions.

Here, the Director of the Company, Ben Morice, originally from New Zealand, describes his operations.

~ Marc Choyt, Publisher
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Tags: Best Practices, CSR, Diamonds, Environment, Fair Trade, Fair Trade Jewelry, Green Issues, Interviews, Manufacturing, Rad Transparency, Transparency, Trends by Marc Choyt
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A natural diamond represents a highly symbolic expression of love and commitment. Yet many people are concerned about the history of the diamond trade, and its ties to regional conflicts. People want their diamond not only to be ‘conflict free,’ but also to be worthy of its symbolic value.

Yet complex sourcing issues in the diamond sector fuel misleading terminology in the market place that makes it difficult to know what one is supporting in one’s purchase. For those who are also motivated by ethical concerns, it is best not to get too caught up in the internet marketing of ‘conflict free’ diamonds.

Every diamond sold claims to be ‘conflict free’ and Kimberley Certified, regardless of whether it was sourced ethically or from a mine that has poor human rights and environmental standards.
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Tags: Best Practices, CSR, Diamonds, Editorial, Environment, Ethics, Mining, Rad Transparency, Responsible Mining, Social Initiatives, Transparency, Trends by Marc Choyt
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Introduction:

This press release outlines the latest in a long string of atrocities associated with gold mining. Unfortunately, gold from companies such as Goldcorp is sold on the open market and ends up in the jewelry supply chain, where it is used to create such items as wedding rings.

~ Marc Choyt, Publisher, Fairjewelry.org.

CAFOD and Canada’s Development & Peace demand action from mining giant Goldcorp as villagers fear gold mine is poisoning people and the environment in Honduras
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Tags: CSR, Environment, Ethics, Gold, Green Issues, Green Wash, Mining, Rad Transparency, Responsible Mining, Spin, Transparency, Trends by Marc Choyt
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This is a revised, considerably shorter version of an earlier story that I wrote last year that traces the history of the Inuit movement to retain their rights to mine their local rubies in Greenland.

This piece was previously published in the Epoch Times

To the Inuit in Greenland, a place where the sun may only rise for a few hours a day, the ruby held the divine flame that never goes out.

Niels Madsen knew where the crystal sparkled out of the earth like red stars in the dark arctic night. This particular location, a peninsula of land between two deep arctic blue lakes, called to him.
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Tags: Diamonds, Editorial, Environment, Ethical Jewelry, Ethics, Fair Trade, Fair Trade Gems, Greenland Rubies, Mining, Rad Transparency, Responsible Mining, Rubies, Spin, Transparency, Trends by Marc Choyt
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by Meghan Connolly Haupt

Introduction:

“There is no such thing as perfectly clean diamonds – that is to say, having no social or environmental impact.”

Meghan has become a regular contributor to fairjewelry.org. This excellent article is a follow up on the piece I wrote on Kimberley Certification earlier in March.

~ Marc Choyt, Publisher, fairjewelry.org
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Tags: CSR, Diamonds, Editorial, Environment, Ethical Jewelry, Ethics, Fair Trade Gems, Fair Trade Jewelry, Green Issues, Green Wash, Manufacturing, Mining, Rad Transparency, Responsible Mining, Spin, Transparency, Trends by Meghan Connolly Haupt
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The Revere Academy, one of the most respected schools for jewelers, is going green.

They purchase only recycled precious metal. They have implemented a number of green practices in their office and workshop as well.

To learn more about their commitment, visit their website. www.revereacademy.com

You can also see their recommended “Green Jewelry Bench Tips” for jewelers.

They encourage all jewelers to find out where their jewelry products are coming from. Quoting directly:

“The next time you call your suppliers to place an order, ask about the products before you purchase. Where do they come from? Is the metal recycled? Are the gemstones responsibly sourced and processed without using child labor or under sweatshop conditions? What have they done to lessen the environmental impact of their packing materials? Ask them to see copies of their fair-trade, social and environmental policies. Then ask them which products are made in a manner that supports these policies. If no such policies exist, encourage them to develop responsible practices and follow them in all their sourcing. If a supplier can’t back up its practices, consider switching to one that can.”

We need not only jewelers to ask these questions, but customers who are purchasing jewelry as well.

~ Marc Choyt, Publisher, fairjewelry.org.

Tags: Announcements, Best Practices, CSR, Environment, Ethics, Green Issues, Transparency by Marc Choyt
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This article is by Susan Kingsley and Christina Miller, Co-Founders of the Ethical Metalsmiths. This is one more example of why jewelers and consumers must demand that their gold comes from recycled or fair trade sources. Susan and Christina publish a great newsletter which you can subscribe to at mail@ethicalmetalsmiths.org. ~ Marc Choyt, Publisher

Mount Tenabo – Photo courtesy of Ethical Metalsmiths
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Tags: Environment, Ethics, Gold, Green Issues, Mining, Rad Transparency, Responsible Mining, Spin, Transparency, Trends by Marc Choyt
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