Fair trade gems/conflict free gems

[Indylady]

Does anyone know of sites that specifically sell fair trade gems? I realize that its often hard to trace gems back to the source, which led me to prompt this question. I know that Gene Flannigan and Gary Braun (and I''m sure many others, though I can''t recall their names) do make their own trips to buy "from the souce". I''d really appreciate any links to articles on free or conflict free gems, or links to any vendors. Or personal comments, of course!

 

[Gailey]

Here you go Indy. Don''t have any experience of them. Their name comes up from time to time on the pearl forum because they also sell Sea of Cortez pearls.

Columbia Gem House

 

[T L]

[email protected] does as well. Wildfishgems.com is another.

 

[Edward Bristol]

IndyLady,

That is a big topic which has kept me busy over the years, in fact is was the start of our business model. We have discussed this sometimes here and I also have content on the topic all over the place.

If you have a specific Q I am happy to answer it as best I can

 

[Indylady]

Thanks Gailey, TL, and Ed!

Ed- could you define conflict free for me? Any thoughts as to what I should look for when I''m buying conflict free gems?

 

[virgoruby]

Date: 3/11/2010 3:54:27 AM
Author: Edward Bristol
IndyLady,


That is a big topic which has kept me busy over the years, in fact is was the start of our business model. We have discussed this sometimes here and I also have content on the topic all over the place.


If you have a specific Q I am happy to answer it as best I can

Ed - I''ve got questions too!
I understand that there is no definitive regulatory framework on fair trade and/or conflict free gems (N.B. I am specifically talking about coloured gems & not diamonds here) - in the absence of consensus, what steps do you, as a gem seller, take to ensure that miners/ faceters etc. are paid fairly as well as guaranteed acceptable working conditions? Are there any ways to minimise (negative) impacts on the environment? In addition, how do you ensure that the proceeds from the sale of gems are not used to finance arms purchases or for any other unethical purposes? If you own a mine, then you are more likely to be in control of maintaining ethical standards, but what if you are buying gems from a dealer (or worse, a chain of dealers)? How do you ensure that such dealers/traders are held accountable to the ethical standards?

I know it''s a big topic, but it would be great if you could enlighten us!

 

[Edward Bristol]

Those are specific questions, but they all burn down to THE one question:

How to control a supply-chain? (ethically, environmentally or otherwise)

Learned people, from economists to biologist, have written books on the subject. (Jarred Diamond being the best known, I think).

However, IndyLady, let me try a definition on my own:
“A conflict-free product is neither the reason for, nor the source of, a war-like conflict.”

In other words:
”A conflict-free product shall not be the reason for people to kill each other, nor shall it provide them with the means to do so.”

But words go only so far.

In my little gemstone business I follow ethical rules in any step of the supply chain which I do control; and I try to avoid situations in which I have no clue.

With our “own” mines in Sri Lanka this was pretty straight forward (not easy though, mind you) and I have written much about it.

When we started to source gems from other countries it got a lot more complicated. About this I also have some content out there (I am not allowed to link here, so forgive my vagueness).

Take a recent look at Nigeria:
They have recently found the worlds most terrific rubellite in decades. Meanwhile they have started an equally terrific, if sadly much more common, sectarian slaughter amongst eachother.

Are gems the reason for the slaughter? No.

Is profit from gems used to buy machetes to kill a neighbor? I don’t think so but can''t be sure.

Do I buy rubellite from Nigeria? Yes.

Why? Because I believe that poverty is the root of all that killing. Trade, economic welfare and some chances for angry young men is what Nigeria needs. I trust that those people who are busy with digging out the new tourmalines are less likely to kill their neighbors. If all goes well, they are happy and tired in the evening and send their kids to school next day. Naive? May-be, but history teaches hope.

A different example would be Congo.

I don’t like to buy from there, because the country is in turmoil exactly over the control of mineral wealth. The wars there are fuelled and started by them.

Everybody controls his own supply-chains. We make choices in the mall. I have choices in sourcing gems and generally pay more for them in order to move my supplier from quantity to quality.

I get daily emails from suppliers boasting with how they squeeze the blood out of their miners and workers and thus can offer cheap-cheap-cheaper.

Guess what I do with these emails?

 

[Indylady]

Could you tell me about the conditions of your own mines in Sri Lanka? If its not possible to do so, I understand entirely. Thank you so much for shedding light on this issue! I really appreciate having the chance to hear from someone in trade. Is fair trade/fair compensation equated with conflict free gems, or are they two matters entirely?

 

[Pandora II]

Not Ed, but I can comment on what I saw and learnt when I was out there...

Mining is still done by hand with very little mechanisation (government legislation to ensure that there are many years of employment and gemstones to come). The miners, mine-owner and landowner form cooperatives and share in the profits.

When I was buying gems out there, I was introduced to an agent by a french gemmologist. This agent (who was also a lapidary - and a good one who could cut superb native cuts) introduced me to a large number of mine owners, I went through all the parcels, made my selection and then paid the agent who had taken all the details for each stone and who it came from. He took a percentage. The system seemed to work well.

When I visited the mines it definitely seemd like small businesses that everyone had a stake in - no-one was standing over the miners to make sure they worked hard or didn''t steal stones or anything like that.

I''m sure some shady things go on in some places - people are people - but I felt very comfortable buying over there.

 

[virgoruby]

For me, fair trade is all about empowering people in the local mining communities - through fair pay, safe work place & sustainable local development - and to improve people's lives and alleviate poverty.

It's great to know that, as Pandora witnessed, there are some mining communities which are owned & run by co-operatives - I am interested to know who they are...
However, I doubt they are typical entities within the gem industry, and I am sure situation varies in different mines and in different parts of the world. Of course, shady business practices do not just exist in gem industry; there are always unscrupulous, profit driven entities - whether they are the states, multinationals or individuals - exploiting the workers at the bottom of the food chain in any industry. It is just part and parcel of the capitalist system.

As a consumer, I want an assurance that the gems I am getting are benefiting the local communities, and I think transparency and dialogue are the keys to gaining consumer confidence.

I am aware that Wildfish are committed to fair trade (which btw is great!), but I am keen to find out whether there are any other vendors, who offer fair trade gems - I know TL & Gailey mentioned a couple of vendors, but it would be great to know other ethical sellers, including those based near the mines.

I do confess to be an armchair liberal... and I am more than happy to support fair trade gem industry; I try to buy fair trade food, clothing and more recently, fair trade gold/platinum etc (offered by mining co-operatives such as Colombia's Oro Verde), so it is a natural extension for me to want fair trade gems.

 

[innerkitten]

I couldn''t get on to the gem stone page of the one Gaily posted.

This place mostly deals in diamonds but they have sapphires and pearls too brilliantearth.com

and the Nyala ruby site http://www.nyalaruby.com/home/

For pearls obviously Sea of Cortez. And Kamonka pearls http://www.kamokapearls.com/

 

[DistinctionJewelry]

The only really certified one I know of is Columbia Gem House.

 

[virgoruby]

Innerkitten, thanks for the info!
Have you ever bought anything from any of them? If so, how was your buying experience?

Jessi, thanks for your comment - I would love to find out more about Columbia Gem House, though I am curious to know how their gems are ''certified'' fair trade? as my understanding is that, there is no third party audit body (such as Fairtrade Labelling Org) certifying fair trade gems. Of course you don''t need a stamp of approval by a third party organisation to be fair trade, but it does give the consumer confidence in the products...

IndyLady - sorry for taking over your thread...

 

[DistinctionJewelry]

Hmmm...I might have mis-spoken about being "certified" - not 100% sure if there is a third party or not. Here is their fair trade website: http://www.fairtradegems.com/home/

 

[Jeffrey Hunt]

Hello All,

This is an interesting link : http://www.rubyfair.com/press.php


Pay particular attention to the entry made on 30.90.09 You''ll need to scroll down. Questions the definition of Fair Trade Gemstones.


Kindest Regards,

jeffrey Hunt

 

[lelser]

I''m not blessed (or is that cursed enough to own a mine, but do work very hard to ensure that what I''m buying is fairly traded. Sometimes I can be quite precise about it - I''ve been to the mine and know the owner, and understand the conditions for the workers and for their families.

Sometimes I can''t know for sure. Where I cannot be more involved, I at least try to do as little harm and as much good as possible in the purchasing. I''ve helped 2 rough dealers in Africa through college - one is now in grad school and one of my last payments to him was sent directly to pay his tuition.

In May, my article on the Madagascar trip is coming out in Jewelry Artist/Lapidary Journal and has more info on what we found there.

Cheers,

Lisa

 

[Indylady]

Thank you all for the links! Many of the vendors listed don''t seem to sell directly online.

Virgoruby, you make a very good point. Ed, Pandora, Lisa, Jeffery, Innerkitten and Distinction, thank you so much for bringing your thoughts and experiences to this thread.