Fair Trade Jewelry

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Greg Velario, a social entraprenuere based in the UK, is one of the pioneering figures in the Fair Trade jewelry movement through his work in the Association of Responsible Mining and Cred Jewelers.”

In the video, he takes the high road, stating: “We want to make it culturally unacceptable to buy a piece of jewelry that is not in some way independently certified… as socially and environmentally responsible…. so you know as a customer that what you are buying is not any way damaging or exploitative.”

He has worked for the last ten years to bring this concept and product to market. In addition to describing his core beliefs, the video also takes you to artisan mines where the gold is actually being mined.

Here’s the link.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=v8IMTQH4HVE

Tags: Transparency, CSR, Ethical Initiatives, Sustainability, Change Agents, Environment, Mining, Gold, Ethics, Editorial by Marc Choyt
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IDEX Online Magazine is a publication of the International Diamond Exchange. IDEX is an innovative diamond trading environment that links the best of the diamond tradition with the most advanced in today’s technology. The brainchild of global pillars representing the diamond and internet industries, IDEX Online is the first on-line international diamond exchange designed specifically for and by professional diamond dealers and jewelers. These interviews were published on September 9th, 2007, from Issue Number 209.

Source: http://www.idexonline.com/portal_FullMazalUbracha.asp?id=28095

Vanguards of Responsibility

By Ronit Scheyer

Although they might not admit to it, these men are at the forefront of a movement that is just starting, a movement seeking to demand accountability from the mining companies whose practices they believe to be harmful, the manufacturers and designers who use the mined materials, the retailers who market them and the consumers who buy them.

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Tags: Transparency, CSR, Ethical Initiatives, Sustainability, Change Agents, Ethics, Fair Trade Gems, Interviews, Mining, Diamonds by admin
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The greatest catalysts for change from outside the jewelry industry have been the efforts of watchdog NGOs. Without the efforts of Global Witness and Amnesty International, the conflict diamond issue would not be as well known today.

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Tags: Spin, Transparency, CSR, Ethical Initiatives, Sustainability, Fair Trade, Change Agents, Environment, Fair Trade Gems, Diamonds, Mining, Gold, Ethics, Platinum, Editorial by Marc Choyt
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The 22nrd annual survey of holiday spending by Deloitte reveals that one
in five consumers will pay more for eco friendly products this holiday
season, and seventeen percent will shop at more “green” retailers. Also,
seventeen percent are willing to pay more for green products.

Take A Look:

22nd Deloitte Holiday Survey

Purchase More “Eco-Friendly” Products This Holiday Season

For more information about Deloitte’s Annual Holiday Survey, including
interesting statistics, historical data and useful links, please visit
2007HolidaySurvey.

Tags: Ethical Initiatives, Fair Trade, Sustainability, CSR, Change Agents, Ethics, Environment, Editorial by admin
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Would you feel good about a wedding ring if it was created by maltreated labor or with materials that trashed the environment? Does your expression of love just extend to your intimate ones; or beyond them to the greater human family? It takes real courage for a bride and groom to even consider these issues, but there is a greater danger for those who ignore them.

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Tags: Best Practices, Spin, Transparency, CSR, Ethical Initiatives, Sustainability, Fair Trade, Environment, Ethics, Fair Trade Gems, Diamonds, Jewelry Manufacturing, F*R*E*, Platinum, Mining, Editorial by Marc Choyt
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News of this needed process comes to us from Stephen D’Esposito of Earthworks Action. It has hit industry news sites such as National Jeweler News. Here’s the link:
http://www.nationaljewelernetwork.com/njn/content_display/fashion/e3id47cff04f3393e66b3926636a24e8a5f

This is one of the many next step processes needed to get artisanal gold and precious metals accepted and into the mainstream.

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Tags: CSR, Spin, Ethical Initiatives, Fair Trade, Sustainability, Transparency, Change Agents, Mining, Gold, Ethics, Environment, Editorial by admin
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Peggy Ussery, a journalist for the Dothan Eagle, a newspaper in Alabama, wrote a recent article about a fair trade store which featured several fair trade products. She included jewelry as one of the store’s third party fair trade certified products.

I emailed her, stating that there is no such thing as third party certified fair trade jewelry, to which she responded:

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Tags: CSR, Spin, Ethical Initiatives, Fair Trade, Sustainability, Transparency, Change Agents, Mining, Madison Dialogue, Gold, Ethics, Environment, Editorial by Marc Choyt
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Washington, D.C. – The Madison Dialogue Ethical Jewelry Summit, held Oct. 25-26 at
the World Bank, convened to discuss ethical jewelry and small-scale mining issues, with
representatives from artisanal and small-scale mines (ASM) and their communities
around the world. Attending the summit were also representatives of governments,
donors, certifying organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and large and
small commercial organizations (from mine to retail).

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Tags: CSR, Spin, Ethical Initiatives, Fair Trade, Sustainability, Transparency, Change Agents, Mining, Madison Dialogue, Gold, Ethics, Environment, Editorial by admin
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In March, 2007, I traveled to Turkey, where I attended the Istanbul Jewelry Show. There I met a diamond dealer, the president of a large firm with a large booth. He was the brother of a personal friend and had been in the diamond industry for many years. His primary business was the Russian market, the fabulously rich oligarchy which has a large appetite for bling. The larger, the better.

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Tags: CSR, Spin, Ethical Initiatives, Fair Trade, Sustainability, Transparency, Change Agents, Diamonds, Mining, Ethics, Environment, Editorial by Marc Choyt
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Martin Rapaport, with his bold moves in support of social justice, donates $100,000 to create this association, stating, “We must help. Not because we are guilty of anything…. We must wake up to the fact that the poorest people of Africa, the artisanal diggers, are a part of our diamond family”

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Tags: CSR, Spin, Ethical Initiatives, Fair Trade, Sustainability, Transparency, Change Agents, Diamonds, Fair Trade Gems, Ethics, Environment, Editorial by Marc Choyt
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