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Is There Such A Thing As Fair Trade Jewelry?
A Google seek for "honest commerce jewellery" will deliver up numerous corporations, lots of which promote ethnic jewellery produced in small villages within the growing world. The concept draws the socially responsible shopper, yet the third celebration labeling organization, Fair Labeling Organization (FLO) - of which Transfair USA is a member - does not presently checklist jewellery. Apart from that, some giant gamers within the mainstream jewellery business are starting to tout concepts akin to "honest trade diamonds" and "honest commerce gold." So how does one make sense of these jewellery claims, particularly as they relate to the $150 Billion mainstream jewellery industry?
Investigating the Self-Proclaimed Fair Trade Jewelers
Global Exchange comes up primary on Google within the organic, unpaid listings for the "fair trade" jewellery search. The Transfair logo on the bottom of their web site would lead a client to believe that their jewelry, just like the coffee they promote, is third occasion certified. 
In the context of their claim, I emailed them, asking concerning the source of their valuable metallic and the environmental safeguard for their manufacturers - correct ventilation and disposal or poisonous chemical compounds used within the manufacturing of the jewelry they promote. Finally, sterling silver is meant to be .925% silver. Imports out of small villages in growing nations are notorious for labeling as sterling silver jewellery which has much less silver content material than actual sterling silver.
Global Exchange wrote again explaining that their jewellery is made in a village by small scale artisans and honest working circumstances, which they monitor. They could not answer questions about the environmental practices of those small producers and did not monitor sterling content material.
This utility of the term "honest commerce" to jewelry by Global Exchange is backed by a fair commerce idea that exists outside of FLO. Global Exchange also referred me to the Fair Trade Federation (FTF), of which they're a member. FTF's website FAQ pages lists jewelry as a product. I interviewed Carmen Iezzi, the executive director of FTF, which helped me understand that FTF has nothing to do with products: only businesses that sell them-a subtle distinction most likely misplaced on the average person.
Global Exchange, at least, has some history behind their ethical stance; there are many companies and stores using the ideas of "fair" and "eco" round their products with more questionable accountability.
Though "fair commerce" jewellery helps some villagers within the developing world, it is a negligible niche market in the mainstream jewelry trade as a whole, which does over hundred and fifty billion dollars annually.
The Difficulty of Fair Trade in the Main Stream Jewelry Industry
Taking the idea of "truthful trade" jewelry out of the village and into the mainstream world jewelry market (assume gold, diamonds, bling bling) is like banging that outdated square peg in a round gap. At present, the industry is completely commodity based mostly and value driven, considerably like lumber or oil. Fair trade ideas are simply not a part of the paradigm.
Consider the final circumstances required for a fair commerce merchandise which is pretty straight forward: coffee. The beans are organically grown usually in farms that work collectively, fostering entrepreneurship which translates into broader group prosperity. Third celebration certification assures a stage of integrity that the ethical consumer shopping for at Whole Foods feels good about.
To translate the same concept into a jewelry product, one would have to consider labor and environmental practices within the sourcing of precious metal and gem stones. Mining and improvement of the raw materials - steel refining and gemstone chopping - are additional steps. Manufacturing a finished product presents one other process with its own labor and environmental issues. Plus, there is a wide range of knickknack merchandise, from toy rings to the high finish. Attempting to come to an agreed upon standards of what's moral with such an elaborate, disparate supply chain is daunting.
The Ethical Sourcing Movement within the Mainstream Jewelry Industry
Meanwhile, a small section of passionate, dedicated individuals in the mainstream jewellery business are trying to outline "ethical sourcing", with the final word goal of some form of agreed upon standards resulting in true, third occasion certification. This is going to be an extended process. An Ethical Jewelry Summit organized by Earthworks Action is scheduled in Washington DC in late October, 2007.
The jewellery industry derives most of its revenues from diamonds, valuable and gem stones and valuable metal. The ethical sourcing motion has attracted the curiosity of governments, large corporations and the World Bank, the place the Washington assembly is to take place.
Most raw supplies in the jewelry business are sourced from small scale mining, and efforts are below method to deliver ethical practices to this sector. FLO's early efforts focus on ARM (Association For Responsible Mining). Some firms, such because the Rapaport Group and Columbia Gem House, have taken robust initiatives on their very own, extrapolating the truthful commerce idea to use to gemstone sourcing. However, valuable metals and gems in themselves don't make up a whole piece of bijou.
Though a completed piece of jewelry may very well be analogous to a fair trade chocolate bar which can have components which can be independently licensed, we cannot have ethically sourced jewelry without addressing manufacturing which has its personal labor and environmental considerations. Unlike espresso, mainstream jewelry can't be easily manufactured in a developing world village as a result of it requires an enormous preliminary investment in equipment and uncooked materials.
Apart from companies that supply their manufactured products from moral factories, the most notable experiment in this regard is going down in South Africa in a venture known as, Vukani-Ubuntu. The project basically trains individuals from local townships into the main steam jewelry commerce, offering coaching, mentoring and equipment. It is closely supported by government and NGOs. But in accordance with Lores Mares, CEO of the South African Jewelry Counsel, one of the crucial difficult challenges is bringing the product to a market.
Jewelry is strictly a commodity that's heavily cost driven. This ethical sourcing idea doesn't deliver added value because the market is undeveloped. My anecdotal research exhibits that the progressive, inexperienced shopper who buys from Patagonia does not feel comfortable with a typical jewelry sales individual. Winning the progressive eco demographic again can be straightforward. Yet those within the mainstream jewellery world who are involved are sincere and heavily driven by humanitarian issues-with the doable exception of the larger firms who could also be joining to polish their blood diamond, soiled gold image.
Though millions of internet sites reference "truthful commerce jewellery," the designation is, at this point, too ambiguous for all but a couple of fundamental stream jewelry manufacturers to use. The client considering ethically sourced jewelry must search for detailed info as to sourcing, labor and environmental practices. At present, transparency is commonly extra precious to the buyer than any designation.
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