Common-sense mining reform protects nature, consumers, says Seattle based Benbridge Jeweler CEO

Common-sense mining reform protects nature, consumers

Jewelry symbolizes affection, love and commitment. Jewelry, and the metals mined to create it, should also embody environmental and social responsibility. As co-CEO of a family-run jewelry company, I want to be able to tell my customers that the precious metals we use are mined responsibly. No one wants to buy a "dirty gold" wedding ring or a "blood diamond" anniversary gift, and we don't want to sell them.

That's why my company and 26 other leading jewelers support the "golden rules" for responsible sourcing developed by nonprofit groups, including EARTHWORKS and Oxfam, and the retail jewelers trade association, Jewelers of America.

While an international dialogue between nongovernmental organizations, retailers, multinational mining companies and affected communities has begun to wrestle with how to apply the "golden rules" on a global basis, we have an opportunity to lead the way here at home.

Unfortunately, there's an obstacle blocking more-responsible mining in the United States — the badly outdated 1872 Mining Law, which affects hundreds of millions of acres of Western public lands. Intended to spur development of the West, the law is virtually the same today as it was when President Ulysses S. Grant signed it.

Nearly everyone agrees reform is needed. The reasons are compelling: The law contains no environmental provisions, it gives mining preferential treatment over other uses of our public lands, and it perpetuates a land giveaway at 1872 prices. In addition, mining companies can buy public lands for $2.50 to $5 an acre and they don't pay any royalty for the gold or silver. These giveaways have been temporarily suspended, but they remain part of the old law.

The net result is a loss of royalty dollars to our national treasury as well as polluted water and hundreds of thousands of abandoned mines across the West. Some of these mines are so contaminated with toxins that they pose an imminent threat to people or wildlife and end up as Superfund sites.

With metals prices skyrocketing, thousands of new mining claims are being staked on public lands. In Washington alone, claims increased 14 percent between 2003 and 2007, according to federal data compiled by the Environmental Working Group.

Here in the Evergreen State, there is a new proposal for an open-pit nickel and copper mine next to Mount St. Helens National Monument, which has downstream towns, including Kelso, worried. This same story is repeated around the West in places such as Boise, Tucson and Bristol Bay, Alaska, home of the world's largest wild sockeye salmon runs.

Jewelers support common-sense mining-law reforms. The U.S. House of Representatives approved a comprehensive bill late last year, and not a moment too soon. The Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act, HR 2262, would fix many of the old law's worst failings by:

• Empowering federal land managers to balance mining with other uses of our public lands, such as for clean water and places to hike, hunt and fish;

• Giving local governments and tribes a voice in decisions about whether to site new mines near their communities;

• Setting common-sense standards to protect clean water;

• Protecting national parks, monuments, wild and scenic rivers, and roadless backcountry;

• Ending the sale of public lands claimed for mining;

• Providing for abandoned-mine cleanup with a reasonable royalty on the mining industry, which currently pays nothing. Cleanup will be expensive — as much as $50 billion — but would create jobs and restore our poisoned streams to health.

These are principles that the jewelry industry can get behind. Mining contributes to our business and the nation's economy in important ways. Now is the time to scrap the old law for a modern approach that upholds 21st-century Western values and benefits responsible mining companies. Our public lands and clean water are our most precious resources, not to be squandered by a law enacted before the light bulb was invented. Rather, they must be cherished and shared with our families.

As the U.S. Senate considers reform this year, I encourage lawmakers to keep the principles laid out in HR 2262 in mind as they move forward.

With jewelry retailers, hunters and anglers, local elected officials, tribes and conservationists across the West supporting reform, I hope that, soon, consumers can be assured that the gold in the rings and bracelets they purchase come from mines governed by a new law that puts water and communities first and assures the American public of a fair financial return for the mining of our natural resources.

Jon Bridge is the co-CEO of Ben Bridge Jeweler, a 78-store chain headquartered in Seattle.

Here is the full article.

Whole Life Valentine's Day Gift Guide - Your Purchasec Say no to Dirty Gold and the Destruction of Patagonia, Chile

Bestowing your beloved with conflict diamonds and dirty gold is hardly the best way to say “I love you.” Some jewelers are beginning to take notice:

Green Karat: recognizes the damage inflicted on the environment from destructive gold and diamond mining practices, which is why they only use man-made and recycled diamonds and recycled precious metals. Their myKarat program encourages consumers to recycle broken and unused jewelry for store credit. The Vinea ring ($825) is 100 percent post consumer recycled 18k white or yellow gold, available in two widths. greenkarat.com

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Brilliant Earth: To the one you love AND to responsible social and environmental values with a ring from San Francisco-based Brilliant Earth. This Platinum Seacrest ring ($1,050 without center stone; $6,500 with center stone) is certified conflict-free, hailing from Canadian mines that promote fair labor practices and environmental sustainability. Five percent of Brilliant Earth’s profits benefit African communities harmed by the diamond mining industry. brilliantearth.com
Kirsten Muenster: Jeweler Kirsten Muenster strives to create “wearable landscapes” by integrating the Japanese aesthetic of wabi sabi (the observation and appreciation of the natural cycle of life) with found objects, ethically sourced stones and repurposed vintage materials. This necklace is fashioned from recycled sterling silver, druzy quartz, a vintage glass button and fossilized dinosaur bone. Due to the one-of-a-kind nature of Muenster’s designs, prices are available only upon request. kirstenmuenster.com

Rust-Belt: Established jewelry designers Page Neal and Anna Bario joined forces to create Rust-Belt, a line devoted to repurposed materials and eco-conscious practices. Their Sisal Blue ($192) is a vintage enameled chain with a sterling silver clasp packaged in a repurposed glass bottle. Neal and Bario hope to educate others about the issues surrounding the jewelry industry on their blog at rust-belt.org.

Monique Péan uses 100 percent recycled gold and ancient fossilized ivory for her luxury Bering collection. Ten percent of her proceeds go to the Alaska Native Arts Foundation to raise awareness of Alaska native art and culture and the environmental issues they face. These Fjord Ivory Diamond Earrings are conflict-free with sustainably-harvested (ie. found) walrus ivory. Price available upon request. moniquepean.com

The Palma Collection is artisan-crafted from nontoxic, sustainable “vegetable ivory,” which comes from the nut of a rare South American palm, harvested only after it naturally falls from the tree. This Hosono ($36) necklace features vibrant vegetable dyed tagua nut slices strung on a faux suede cotton strap. palmacollection.com
Gwendolyn Davis is “interested in fashion as a vehicle for a more ethical world.” Her Verde Rocks line is a collection of “nouveau vintage” bracelets, necklaces and other goodies created from recycled and organic materials. The Glass Nugget Cuff ($89) is vintage brass adorned with a mosaic of recycled glass pieces. gwen-davis.com


Moonrise Jewelry: Much of Virginia-based Moonrise Jewelry’s wares are handmade by local artists using fairly traded, ethically sourced gemstones or renewable, recycled or reclaimed materials. These Tupelo Earrings ($68) are fair trade citrine and 24K gold vermeil. moonrisejewelry.com
Water is a Human Right: With “water wars” on the not-so-distant horizon, eco designer Linda Loudermilk thinks it’s about time people start paying attention. Her Water is a Human Right collection donates a generous portion of purchase proceeds to the YEW Foundation to support organizations with clean water initiatives. She’s constructed this faucet necklace ($79) from reclaimed silver in hopes of raising money and awareness. lindaloudermilk.com

Tarma Designs offer an alternative to gold and silver mining with their Active Collection, featuring artistic expressions of outdoor activities forged in recycled stainless steel. This Spiral Pendant ($25) was inspired by an Anasazi petroglyph signifying water. tarmadesigns.com

Here is the full article.

Gold miners face jeweler boycott - “business as usual” attempts to paper over destructive environmental legacy & practices are no longer effective

In a different twist to the annual No Dirty Gold campaign backed by environmental NGOs, five major jewelers have pledged they will not use gold from the controversial Pebble copper & gold project near Bristol Bay, Alaska.

In a statement issued Tuesday, Jon Bridge, Co-CEO/General Counsel of Ben Bridge Jeweler in Seattle said, "I am pleased to stand with others in the jewelry industry today in announcing our support for protecting Alaska's Bristol Bay watershed from large-scale mining. As retail jewelers, we want to be able to tell our customers that the precious metals we use are mined responsibly-that the materials used in the jewelry they purchase have been mined in environmentally friendly ways, respectful of the Bristol Bay salmon fishery and the communities that depend on it."

Joining Bridge in the Pebble gold boycott were Tiffany & Co., Helzberg Diamonds, Fortunoff, Leber Jewelers, Inc., and Alaska's Blake's Fine Jewelry. The retailers are among a group of 28 jewelry retailers, representing 23% of U.S. jewelry sales, who have endorsed the No Dirty Gold campaign's "Golden Rules" human rights and environmental criteria for mining.

Last December an advertising campaign was launched in industry news publication National Jeweler, asking jewelers to boycott gold from the Pebble Mine project in the Bristol Bay watershed. Washington, D.C.-based EARTHWORKS placed the ad in the January, February and March issues of National Jeweler.

Vancouver-based Northern Dynasty Mines has proposed to build the Pebble copper-gold mine southwest of Anchorage. However, Northern Dynasty has drawn criticism for failing to conduct an effective consultation campaign outside of Alaska regarding Pebble's potential impacts on Bristol Bay. Conversely, Bristol Bay environmentalists have been able to draw on the support of national and international environmental NGOs, fisheries and sportsmen groups, as well as Alaska native interest groups.

The involvement of international mega-miner Anglo American in the Bristol Bay project is expected to improve national and international stakeholder consultation. Sean Magee, a spokesman for the Pebble Partnership, told reporters that they are disappointed that none of the jewelers or EARTHWORKS spoke to them prior to Tuesday's announcement.

Magee told the Los Angles Times that "there is a lot of common ground between the Dirty Gold camp and the approach we are taking. We support high environmental standards for mining. If the fisheries can't be protected, we won't advance this project."

(High unlikely as these mining companies care little for people never mind fish: Ok Tedi Environmental Disaster )

Tiffany's CEO Mike Kowalski-who is also a prominent advocate for reform of the 1872 Mining Law-told the Anchorage Daily News that the company supports Bristol Bay residents who value the region's salmon fisheries over mining, and pledged that Tiffany will avoid using gold from Pebble if it is developed into a mine.

However, EARTHWORKS President Stephen D'Esposito told the Anchorage Daily News that mining companies, smelters and refiners also have to help jewelers, such as Tiffany, have more control over their gold supply chain.

The Pebble West project is believed to have a measured and indicated resource of 4.1 billion tonnes containing 42.1 million ounces of gold, 24.6 billion pounds of copper, 1.4 billion pounds of molybdenum and additional silver. The Pebble East project is believed to have a 3.4 billion-tonne inferred resource containing 42.6 billion pounds of copper, 39.6 million ounces of gold and 2.7 billion pounds of molybdenum.

GOLDEN RULES REPORT

In a report that accompanied the No Dirty Gold announcement of the Bristol Bay gold boycott campaign, EARTHWORKS and Oxfam America highlighted gold mining operations, which they believe, violate basic human rights, refuse to recognize their miners' right to organize through labor unions, or fail to adequately protect worker health and safety. Other mines are criticized for their alleged involvement in armed or militarized conflict, or forced relocation of nearby landowners and/or indigenous peoples.

The report also highlights mines which reportedly dump mine waste into oceans, rivers, lake or streams; and calls for ensuring that projects are not located in protected areas, fragile ecosystems, or other areas of high conservation or ecological value.

Among the mines criticized in the report are Freeport-McMoRan's Grasberg mine in Indonesia; Newmont's Yanacocha mine in Peru; Barrick's Cortez Mines in Nevada; BHP Billiton's iron ore mines in Australia; Barrick, Teck Cominco, and Newmont's Hemlo Camp mines in Ontario; AngloGold Ashanti's Mongbwalu mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo; Gabriel Resources' Rosia Montana project in Romania; Placer Dome's former Marcopper mine in the Philippines; Newmont's Minahasa Raya and Batu Hijau mines in Indonesia; Barrick's Porgera gold mine in Papua New Guinea; Ascendant Copper's Junin project in Ecuador; Newmont's Akyem gold mine in Ghana; and Anglo American and Northern Dynasty Minerals Pebble copper-gold project in Alaska.

Also featured in the report are the former Pegasus Gold Zortman-Landusky mine in Montana; Golden Star Resources' Bogoso/Prestea gold mine in Ghana; Yukon-Nevada Gold's Jerritt Canyon gold mine in Nevada; and the former Galactic Resources Summitville gold mine in Colorado.

To download a copy of the report, "Golden Rules, Making the case for responsible mining, visit www.nodirtygold.org

Valentines day gifts: if it's not ethical, don't bother...43% of women would rather not get a gift than receive one that was not ethically produced

New research released today by the Department for International Development (DFID) shows that what women really want this Valentines Day is an ethical gift - in fact an amazing 43% would rather not get a gift at all than receive one that was not ethically produced.

It seems that the way to a woman's heart in 2008 is through her conscience as nearly two thirds (62%) of women say that they would be impressed if their partner went to the trouble of making sure their gift was ethical, whether it's flowers, chocolates or even diamonds. Men aren't far behind with over half (53%) saying they would be impressed by an ethical gift.

Among those expecting to receive or give a Valentines gift this year, flowers are still rated as the most popular gift to receive (42%) with jewellery (22%) and chocolate (17%) coming second and third.

Over half of women in the UK (53%) say that it matters to them that their Valentines gift is ethical. In fact, it matters so much that over half (54%) would be unhappy if they knew that their gift had been made by people who had been treated unfairly.

For any men planning to pop the question this year, it's not just about the flowers. Three quarters (74%) of women would be unhappy if their diamond was a conflict diamond.

Despite so many women preferring an ethical gift, an overwhelming 60% of those expecting to receive a gift this year don't think their partner will make sure their gift is ethical.

Relationships expert Dr Pam Spurr comments: "Women are attracted to men like George Clooney for more than their good looks. Such men clearly care about the world around them and try to make a difference. Thinking about the ethical implications of a Valentine's gift shows that a man has a conscience - a very attractive quality to women. Men should realise the way to a woman's heart is to choose an ethical gift that appeals to her."

Here is the full article.

Go Green the Next Time You Buy Gold

More and more folks are taking in their environmental concerns when shopping for their jewelry these days.

When Carla and Ryan Lents decided to tie the know, they hoped to tie in their love for the planet.

They designed invitations made from recycled paper and used only organic flowers. Buying the right rings was important too, since they're concerned about the impact of gold mining on the environment.

Gold mining, like all mining, changes the landscape and chemicals are often used in the extraction process.

Scott Cardiff is with the "No Dirty Gold" Campaign; a group that claims gold mining is one of the dirties industries.

He says not enough is being done to clean it up so they're calling on the industry to adopt a uniform set of standards.

"We have jewelry retailers who said they would support more responsible sourcing of their gold, from more responsible mining, which represents over 20% of U.S. jewelry sales at this time," says Cardiff.

The World Gold Council, made up of some of the largest mines, says its already working hard to address concerns.

"Most members of the World Gold Council, for example, already have in place very well documented codes of practices and principles that they adhere to," says George Miling-Stanley of the World Gold Council.

Practices and principles set by several associations formed specifically to improve ethical, social and environmental practices.

But Cardiff wants to see even more change. He's calling for a certification process.

"So that when you go to a jewelry store and want more ethical jewelry, they can actually say here's our certification that we are actually sourcing from a more responsible mine," says Cardiff.

For now, if you're a concerned consumer, Cardiff says you may want to ask if the jeweler is part of the campaign, or you can also go recycled.

A company called "Green Karat" will melt down any gold you send in and make new pieces for you. It doesn't even matter what color gold you recycle.

"We take out all the alloys, which is what lends color to gold. Depending on whether you want white gold, or yellow gold, we will add fresh alloys and make brand new pieces," says Matthew White of "GreenKarat."
.Matthew White, GreenKarat

That's what the Lents did, they sent in old family rings to make new ones.

If you're not in the market for jewelry right now, you can still recycle any old gold you have in your jewelry box.

With "GreenKarat" you can send in the pieces and they'll give you a store credit or donate a portion of the value to an environmental organization.

Here is the full article.

Anglo American PLC & Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd incite jeweler boycott for Pebble Gold Mine in Alaska

Five of the nation's leading jewelers have sworn off gold that could someday come from the Pebble Mine, a huge deposit near the world's most productive wild sockeye salmon stream.

The jewelers, including Tiffany & Co., Ben Bridge Jeweler and Helzberg Diamonds, pledged Tuesday not to knowingly sell jewelry made from gold that might be extracted from the proposed mine near the Bristol Bay watershed in southwest Alaska.

'We are committed to sourcing our gold and other materials in ways that ensure the protection of natural resources such as the Bristol Bay watershed,' the pledge says. 'We would not want the jewelry we sell to our customers to jeopardize this important natural resource.'

The other two companies making the pledge to support permanent protection of the watershed from large-scale mining are Fortunoff and Leber Jewelers. The five retailers together sold about $2.2 billion in jewelry in 2006.

Northern Dynasty Mines Inc., an American subsidiary of Canadian company Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd., is developing the prospect in partnership with Anglo American PLC, a London-based mining company.

Northern Dynasty spokesman Sean Magee said he was surprised that none of the companies contacted Northern Dynasty before signing the pledge. He said Northern Dynasty would be contacting the retailers this week to describe Pebble Mine and the approach to the project.

'We have made a commitment to employ the very highest standards at Pebble,' Magee said.
(The "high standards" of the Canadian Mining Industry speak for themselves: Canadian Mining Industry Run Amok )

The pledge was made in conjunction with a report by the No Dirty Gold campaign led by Oxfam America and Earthworks, an advocacy group.

Pebble Mine is estimated to be the second largest ore deposit of its type in the world. Production could begin in 2015.

Here is the full article from Forbes.

Conflict diamonds. Dirty gold. Blood rubies - These terms reflect the not-so-secret dirty secrets of the jewelry industry.

Reflective Images digs deep for beauty.

These terms reflect the not-so-secret dirty secrets of the jewelry industry, a multibillion-dollar sector that, for the most part, has yet to develop strong guidelines to ensure that the bling around your neck didn’t come at the expense of people and land on another continent.

The film Blood Diamonds helped spur media interest and public awareness about conflict diamonds. But the “ethical jewelry” movement extends beyond one region and one gem. It is concerned with all the factors, from the effect of mining on land to the conditions of the people who do that mining.

For Marc Choyt, president of Santa Fe’s Reflective Images, the seeds of desire to transform the industry began in 1995 when he and his wife, Helen Chantler, founded the jewelry company out of their home.

Choyt was a teacher at the Santa Fe Indian School and Chantler was a bench jeweler at the time.

“We had both traveled a lot internationally,” Choyt, who volunteered in an orphanage in Haiti for two years, says. “I was interested in business from the angle of social entrepreneurship, as a means of creating good in the world. Helen, too, had these ideals. We wanted to create a model that was different from other businesses, a model that could benefit the community and do no harm to the ecology.”

Choyt describes their initial attempts as “spotty” because “when you’re starting out, to implement your ideals, you have to compromise. But it always bothered us that the jewelry sector is a very toxic sector, toxic to the environment and in terms of how it’s treated people around the world, specifically, and more recently, around issues that have come up, such as blood diamonds and dirty gold.”

As the company’s president, Choyt leads the company’s marketing and social activism components. At home, this means providing the 10-person staff with competitive wages, health care and retirement benefits; using wind and solar power; and offsetting carbon emissions from both production and travel by donating to river restoration projects.

At the global level, Choyt’s blog, www.fairjewelry.org, is one of the leading online resources for following the issue of ethical jewelry. The company also created a system known as FRE: Fair, Responsible, Ecological. This system, radical in the industry, promotes complete transparency by allowing consumers to source potential jewelry purchases from Reflective Images on the company’s Web site (www.celticjewelry.com/fre.php). For example, a customer considering buying a capris watch locket can look up the working conditions under which the locket was made, the source of the gold and the silver in the piece, as well as those components of the piece for which the company cannot vouch.

Choyt has documented this practice of transparency in a recently published e-book, The Ethical Jewelry Handbook, to help other jewelers interested in adopting the FRE system.

And, within a year, Reflective Images will be one of two US companies to offer third-party fair-trade gold wedding rings from the UK.

Reflective Images’ line is built on a Celtic design motif that reflects Chantler’s upbringing; she was born in the UK, but spent her teenage years in Southeast Asia. The jewelry uses Southwestern techniques, well suited to European tribal design, but also draws inspiration from indigenous and ancient cultures throughout the world.
Jewelry, Choyt believes, is “a highly emotional purchase that has deep symbolism for people. It represents, basically, some of the highest aspirations we’re capable of. How can it be that the jewelry sector can allow the production of a ring to produce tons of toxic waste from the mining of gold, or the death of 3.7 million Africans in the blood diamond conflict, for which no one in the sector has ever been held responsible?”

Choyt’s concerns were crystallized several years ago when he attended a jewelry trade show in Las Vegas, Nev. The film Blood Diamond had been recently released and a meeting on the topic was attended by more than 700 people. In another room, a discussion about fair trade was only attended by 30 or 40 people, mostly press.

“That level of disconnect was astonishing,” Choyt, for whom diamonds comprise less than 10 percent of his business, says. “Because the whole blood diamond issue is really an issue of fair trade and economic justice.”

Last October, Choyt and others met at the Madison Dialogue Ethical Jewelry

Summit at the World Bank in Washington, DC, to discuss everything from issues of mining and recycled metals to creating a third-party certification for fair-trade jewelry.

“There are 100 million people around the world who are artisan miners, some poor, usually living in rural areas with limited resources,” he says. “If it were possible that these miners could extract in a way that was environmentally sound and in a way that they were given fair wages, it could have a major impact as a development initiative around the world. It could transform tens of millions of people’s lives; that’s what this is about. It’s about connecting the person here in Santa Fe purchasing a piece of jewelry with the person in Africa at the mining cooperative in Tanzania, who is actually mining the stone.”

In the case of Reflective Images, it’s about allowing people to buy jewelry made from recycled metals, with sourced stones, made by local craftspeople who are paid well by a local business.

Although it’s unusual for small-business owners to travel, as Choyt and Chantler do, to Asia to visit directly with suppliers, it’s a natural outgrowth of their commitment to doing good in the world; after the 2004 Asian tsunami, for example, the couple went to Sri Lanka to build houses. For Choyt, public service was ingrained in him as a child growing up in a household where his father was an early pioneer in the civil rights movement; his volunteer work in 1985 in Haiti orphanages further coalesced his commitment.

“The reason why people in Haiti are so poor is directly related to why I live in such abundance and wealth,” he says. “So I always consider my work in that context, but also in the context of nature and my love for the natural environment. What is my debt to natural existence?” he says.

Despite his high ideals, Choyt realizes that his goals for Reflective Images, and for transforming the jewelry sector as a whole, are far off; maybe even, in some cases, unachievable. But that doesn’t stop him.

“For myself, I’ve made a decision that I’m going to work for positive social change in every way that I can, regardless of what’s going on. And everybody can do this. I happen to be in the jewelry sector, so that’s where my work is. I personally have the goal of making it socially unacceptable to purchase jewelry that isn’t made with recycled or fair-trade products. And it should be socially unacceptable, given what jewelry represents.”

Part of making that happen, Choyt believes, is transforming the marketing of jewelry itself.

“The marketing of jewelry has disconnected the purchaser from its true cost,” he says. “Ever since ‘diamonds are a girl’s best friend.’ It’s all about seduction. But what we’re trying to do is create more of a spiritual sparkle.”

Here is the full article.

Reflective Images Publishes 'The Ethical Jewelry Handbook'

Martin Rapaport on Fair Trade Diamonds & Jewelery

Santa Fe, New Mexico: Reflective Images, a designer jewelry firm, announces the free Ebook for the jewelry trade entitled: THE ETHICAL JEWELRY HANDBOOK (A Resource Guide for the jewelry sector wishing to adopt exceptional standards and radical transparency: Fair, Responsible, Ecological System.)

The book provides articles and information for those in the jewelry sector wishing to be more ecologically and socially responsible in their business practices. It is also a handbook which explains how any company can implement the FRE System, which offers customers a detailed insight into the supply chain, from the mine to the showroom, for all components of every finished piece of jewelry the company sells.

The term FRE, empowers customers to make decisions based on a product’s: F= Fair labor; R= Social Responsibility and E=Ecological impact. It’s an "open source" model, said Marc Choyt, president of Reflective Images and author of the work.

"If the Fair Labeling Organizations (FLO) are analogous to a closed operating system, such as Microsoft, our FRE system is analogous to Linux. Any jewelry company can make it their own,” said Choyt.

Reflective Images (http://www.celticjewelry.com) developed the FRE system because, in the current market, terminology such as "fair trade jewelry" and "eco jewelry" are practically meaningless. Choyt, who is working on a Madison Dialog committee to develop international third party fair trade standards for jewelry manufacturing, knows that this processes take years. He has implemented the FRE system on his website. His second commercial website, http://www.artisanweddingrings.com will also have the FRE system up soon.

“This book is the start of a project hopefully supported by the larger community in the ethical jewelry sector. Anyone who has information, articles, or supply sources can contact me. They will be included and listed as a contributor to future versions of the book,” said Choyt.

Choyt writes about ethical jewelry issues at www.fairjewelry.org, the most important source in the sector for those seeking to learn the politics, sourcing and production of ethical jewelry. His seminal article on the ethical jewelry sector was recently published in Modern Jeweler.

Reflective Images, was established in 1995. It sells jewelry through its website, from its store and to approximately 75 jewelry stores around the country. In 2006, it was named one of Santa Fe, New Mexico's most visionary businesses.

Here is the full article.

Ask Hard Questions Before Buying Gold

What is the real price of gold? In an age when we are becoming aware of global warming and global destruction of natural resources, we need to be aware that gold mining is one of the dirtiest industries in the world.

The production of a single gold wedding ring generates 20 tons of mine waste. Gold mining bears the scars of conflict, destruction and human rights abuse. In places as diverse as Guatemala, Ghana, Peru and Indonesia, local communities and indigenous peoples have encountered intimidation, abuse and even violent suppression when voicing opposition to mining projects.

Gold mining is a dirty industry. It can displace communities, contaminate drinking water, hurt workers and destroy pristine environments.

Open-pit gold mines essentially obliterate the landscape, opening vast craters, flattening or even inverting mountaintops. Cyanide is used by large mining operations to separate gold from ore and pollutes the landscape. A rice-grain of cyanide can be fatal to humans.

Metal mining employs just 0.09 of the work force, but consumes as much as 10 percent of world energy. Metal mining is the No. 1 toxic polluter in the United States, responsible for 89 percent of arsenic releases, 85 percent of mercury releases and 84 percent of lead releases in 2004.

Most gold is used to make jewelry. Jewelers should ensure they are not selling gold produced at the expense of people's lives and our environment. Consumer demand will help lead to an alternative to dirty gold. Ask jewelers when you buy gold if they have taken the first steps toward more responsible sourcing of gold by declaring their support for the Golden Rules, which represent social, environmental and human rights criteria for more responsible gold production. We, as consumers, should support these retailers.

Here is the full article.

Fairtrade digs deep to develop Green Gold

We were all appalled to learn that we could have blood on our hands due to exploitation in the jewellery industry, which we’re more aware of thanks to the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio’s film, Blood Diamond, and the introduction of the Kimberley Process.

The next page in the ethical jewellery story looks like it could be a Fairtrade certified ‘Green Gold’ collection. The Fairtrade Foundation (FF) is working with the Association for Responsible Mining (ARM) and the ethical Chichester-based jeweller, Cred.

Cred has formed a partnership with miners in a cooperative in Choco, an underdeveloped region in northeast Colombia, called the Green Gold (‘Oro Verde‘) project.

The FF is exploring how to develop the concept of ethical gold with ARM, and hopes to be able to extent its successful labelling scheme to gold in the foreseeable future.

‘If we get a positive board decision to proceed with Fairtrade labelled gold, then depending on the outcome of the pilot studies to date, it would be likely that the first certified gold will be available during 2009,’ said Fairtrade Foundation policy and producer relations officer Chris Davis.

From the Ethical Lifestyle Magazine, The New Consumer www.newconsumer.com

Here is the full article

Fair Trade Diamonds and Jewelry

A Brilliant Clip for Fair Trade Diamonds and Jewelry

Watch the charismatic Martin Rapaport, Chairman of the Rapport Group talk about fair trade diamonds... why we are responsible for what we buy.

The Four Points of Fair Trade Jewellery

1] Monitoring, to know where the diamonds come from.

2] Do No Harm - The site is environmentally sound, returned to its original state, with no child labor and unsafe working conditions.

3] Fair wages to the diamond miners.

4] Give back 5% to the community where the diamonds originated.

Ethical Jewellery as Good as Gold

"Customers don't realise that one wedding ring weighs 10 grams and causes three tonnes of toxic waste," says Greg Valerio, whose company aims to follow fair trade coffee with ethical gold jewellery.

A silver-haired anti-poverty and human rights campaigner, he is at the forefront of a fast-growing global market for gold and platinum jewellery which seeks to soothe consumers' consciences and protect miners from danger and exploitation.

His jewellery shop in the southern English city of Chichester has formed a partnership with miners in a cooperative in Choco, an underdeveloped region in northeast Colombia, called the Green Gold ("Oro Verde") project.

Together they are working with the Fairtrade Foundation – which backs farmers and workers from poor countries to develop their communities through fairer terms of trade. They aim to extend Fairtrade's successful labelling to gold.

"Green gold" jewellery is a niche in a fast-growing wider market for ethical goods, ranging from day-to-day foodstuffs like tea, coffee and chocolate to designer fashions and travel.

Analysts say global sales of ethical gold jewellery are probably less than one per cent of the total $56 billion gold jewellery market based on figures from London-based consultancy GFMS – and the Fairtrade label is a year or so away.

Although the ethical product is priced at a premium and gold is at record highs, the market has been ballooning. Among a plethora of online offers are companies including one called greenKarat that argues industrial mining methods damage the land and endanger ecosystems, so recycled gold would be better for society.

British fashion designer Katharine Hamnett includes a link to Valerio's outlet, called Cred, on her Web site. He said ethics were a strong selling point in the jewellery trade: a woman would not want to receive a gift that was tarnished by exploitation.

Nor do some men want to give them. A customer of Valerio's store, Stephen McIlhenny, 27-year-old deputy manager of an outdoor activities centre in Devon, said he ordered a bespoke white gold engagement ring with a round diamond in November for 800 pounds ($1,600).

"I wanted my engagement ring to have put labor and materials to good use rather than wrecking things," he said by telephone. "I wanted my fiancee to know that the gift was very special and did not put people through hardship."

PAY PREMIUM

The "Oro Verde" miners receive an income premium of roughly 10 per cent over their peers in Colombia for their work, said Valerio, who has dual British and Canadian nationality and also helped found the independent, global Association for Responsible Mining (ARM).

With donors including the charity Oxfam, the ARM aims to expand the Green Gold initiative to develop a framework for responsible artisanal and small-scale mining and meet growing consumer demand for sustainable jewellery and minerals.

Mine owners in many parts of the world regularly flout safety regulations to meet demand that seems insatiable – gold has been in a bull market for seven years and on Tuesday prices were probing fresh all-time highs above $880 an ounce.

In South Africa, the world's top platinum producer, more than 200 workers were killed in 2007, prompting a nationwide strike over safety that hit output. The National Union of Mineworkers has threatened more action as it urges the government to prosecute mining companies for the deaths.

The Fairtrade Foundation, which coordinates Fairtrade labelling in 20 countries including Britain, is working with the ARM to explore how to develop the concept of ethical gold.


"If we get a positive board decision to proceed with Fairtrade labeled gold, then depending on the outcome of the pilot studies to date, it would be likely that the first certified gold will be available during 2009," said Fairtrade Foundation policy and producer relations officer Chris Davis.

"It is a partnership that seeks to bring our knowledge of Fairtrade standards and practice together with ARM's knowledge of artisanal small-scale mining," said Davis, who has visited the Choco cooperative, as well as mines in Bolivia and Peru.

"BLOOD DIAMOND" BOOST

Valerio started his store in 2004 and says it is one of the first jewelers in the world to sell ethical gold and platinum jewellery.

"We were helped by 'Blood Diamond'," he said, referring both to the Leonardo DiCaprio movie and to international efforts to stem the flow of conflict diamonds – rough diamonds used by rebel groups to finance wars, featured in that film.

The Kimberley Process, a joint government, industry and civil society initiative introduced in 2003, sought to help curb decades of devastating conflicts in countries such as Angola, Ivory Coast, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sierra Leone.

Since Cred started marketing ethical gold and platinum jewellery, its sales have grown fast, with online orders flowing in from around the world, notably the United States, Valerio said.

"Bearing in mind that our certified gold sales at the end of 2004 were zero pounds, we have just posted over 200,000 ($400,000) (in sales) at the end of 2007," he added.

Cred's wedding or engagement rings typically cost about 10 per cent more than average prices but are about 15 per cent below the top luxury brands such as Tiffany.

A bespoke Cred 18-carat gold wedding ring might cost from 195 to 800 pounds ($390 to $1,600) depending on its size and design – the cheapest engagement ring one could expect to buy in a standard British store would cost about 80 pounds ($160).

"I think the idea of 'fair trade' jewellery will spread," said Cred customer McIlhenny. "Whenever I talk to my friends about my fiancee's 'fair trade' ring, they all really like the idea."

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