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Lucy in the Sky with Ethically-Sourced Gems

 
Posted by Justine BurtApprentice Thursday, February 19 2009 10 comments
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We all love beautiful sparkling diamonds and gold, but the social and environmental impacts associated with the $75 billion/year jewelry industry are devastating. Metal mining is one of the most toxic polluters in the U.S. with cyanide, mercury and arsenic contaminating nearby soil and waterways. The gem trade has also long been marked by negative impacts including social disruption, hazardous working conditions, unfair wages, child labor and community displacement.

Grassroots efforts are raising the standard of business in the industry as a whole. Groups like the Madison Dialogue, No Dirty Gold, Earthwatch, and Global Witness are playing an active role in transforming the industry to provide economic opportunities for communities rich in natural resources, the same people who suffer most from existing mining and trade practices. Thanks to these efforts, there are now better alternatives.

Sustainable fine jewelry is an emerging trend that blends traditional jewelry craftsmanship and design with sustainable materials and manufacturing. Using recycled precious metals and ethically sourced gems (including lab-grown) drastically reduces the environmental burden while fair-wages and responsible trade allows for jewelry you can truly feel good about.

While there are no universally accepted definitions or standards, “ethically sourced gems” typically refer to one of two types of stones. The first type is stones that:

  • have been extracted from the earth with minimal environmental disruption,
  • where a living wage has been paid to the miner and laborers, and
  • that can often be traced from the ground to the market are considered ethically sourced.

Some argue that the second type, lab-grown gems, are the most sustainable alternative in that:

  • their only environmental impact is the energy required to power the lab machine and
  • there is no social consequence.

Genuine sapphires, rubies, emeralds, alexandrites and now even diamonds are being created identical to their mined counterparts. To be clear, the stones are made by mimicking nature and are not imitations.

Consumers, as well as non-profit organizations, are the driving forces behind industry change and accountability. It isn’t enough for consumers to accept “conflict-free” as a token of sustainability. Conscious consumers should actively seek out sustainable jewelry and support jewelry companies sincerely working to improve conditions for those most affected by the industry.

Meghan Connolly Haupt is the principal of c5company.com.

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Comments

  • Mttamphoto

    Justine BurtApprentice said on February 20, 2009

    How do lab grown gems mimic nature? I'd like to know how they are different from imitations. Thanks.
  • Niklv

    Nicole YapApprentice said on February 20, 2009

    Tiffany & Co is safe :)
  • Dsc_0173

    Meghan HauptApprentice said on February 20, 2009

    Lab-grown (also called cultured, synthetic or man-made) diamonds and gems are physically, optically and chemically identical to their mined counterparts. They are real gems created with a process that utilizes high pressure and temperature....just like how they are formed under the Earth's surface.

    Imitation gems are just simply fakes. They are a substance used to look like real gems. (For example, a cubic zirconia is just glass that when cut a certain way, looks like a diamond.)
  • Mttamphoto

    Justine BurtApprentice said on February 23, 2009

    Nicole, What do you know about Tiffany & Co's jewelry? Do they have some kind of third-party certification of their supply chain?
  • Mttamphoto

    Justine BurtApprentice said on February 23, 2009

    Meghan, Thanks for answering my question. That is really interesting!
  • said on February 23, 2009

    Nicole, could you provide a little more info on your statement that 'Tiffany & Co is safe'? I'd like more details about that claim...

    Justine, as Meghan mentioned, lab grown gemstones are basically the exact same thing as a mined ('nature-grown') stone - the lab conditions imitate nature to produce a stone that is identical to the mined version. Imitations (aka 'simulated') are a chemically/physically different substance that just happens to look a lot like the real thing.
  • said on February 23, 2009

    PS, great article, Meghan!
  • said on March 03, 2009

    great article - thanks!
  • said on March 03, 2009

    what a great article - thanks!
  • said on March 06, 2009

    This is fascinating stuff; it is so interesting to learn how sustainablity is an important issue in absolutely every aspect of our role as buyers. Meghan, can you talk about any cost increases in the supply chain when a company chooses to operate sustainably, like yours?

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