Jewellery is a timeless symbol that we’ve worn for thousands of years to represent love, social position, or just to look and feel good. But the jewellery industry isn’t all glitz and glam. Since ancient times, there have been multiple problematic elements within its framework. A gem or precious metal faces multiple ethical challenges during its journey from extraction to becoming the ring on your finger or bracelet around your wrist. Ethical jewellery is a modern, mindful alternative that puts compassion at the forefront.
Ethical jewellery: Representing More Than Sparkles
For jewellery to be ethical, it must serve a main core purpose of remaining free from adverse impacts on people and the environment from raw material acquisition all the way through to finished product stages. Transparency and traceability are fundamental elements of ethical production, including knowledge of the origin and information about material extraction methods and manufacturing conditions.
What is ethical jewellery? You may have heard the terms sustainable jewellery and eco-friendly jewellery, but the three are slightly different from each other. At its heart, the idea of jewellery being ethical means that the human aspect is considered, including fair labor practices and safe work conditions. On the other hand, sustainable and eco-friendly approaches emphasize the environmental impact of jewellery manufacturing. These methods promote protecting our planet through responsible material acquisition, environmentally responsible materials, and environmentally friendly manufacturing techniques to reduce ecological footprints.
Brands that pursue ethical production methods integrate all these aspects into an extensive approach, protecting both human beings and the environment.
Beyond Conflict Free: Humans Must Come First in jewellery Production
Conflict free diamonds are a major example of a fundamental aspect of ethical jewellery discussions. Diamonds have long been used as a financial source for civil wars and rebel movements around the world. In 2003, the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) was created to stop the trade of these “blood diamonds”. However, KPCS certification of conflict-free diamonds does not guarantee that the gems are completely free from human rights abuses, worker exploitation, or environmental damage.
Ethical jewellers adopt “Beyond Conflict Free” standards which exceed standard protocols. They ensure that diamonds meet enhanced labour and trade standards along with environmental responsibility criteria.
Why Ethical jewellery Matters
Traditionally, the jewellery industry has operated on practices that result in huge ethical and environmental problems. By understanding these issues, it’s clear to see why adopting ethical practices is necessary.
Humanitarian Concerns
Workers in small-scale and artisan mines often experience hazardous working environments, minimal wages, and child labour. Workers experience injuries and fatalities due to failure to provide them with standard safety equipment. Plus, exposure to toxic substances used in mining and processing, like mercury and cyanide, can lead to severe health consequences for both mine workers and the surrounding communities.
Environmental Degradation
Large mining operations requiring extensive land clearance for expansion lead to the destruction of natural habitats, deforestation, and soil erosion. Water pollution is one of the main problems. When toxic chemicals like cyanide and mercury are released into the water, they migrate from surface waters into underground water sources that are used by both wildlife and human populations. Producing just one gold ring creates tons of dangerous toxic waste. Each year, gold mines release thousands of tons of cyanide into the environment, putting lives at risk.
The jewellery industry has also contributed heavily to climate change over the years. The entire process of metal and gemstone extraction, processing, and distribution relies heavily on energy. This generates greenhouse gas emissions, which are well-known for being one of the main contributors to climate change. Along with this, jewellery manufacturing also produces substantial waste, including metal scraps, polishing materials, and chemical byproducts, that can get into the soil and pose a risk to ecosystems.
The Rise of Conscious Consumerism and jewellery that Aligns with Values
In recent years, public knowledge of these issues has grown, which has led to an increased consumer interest in sustainable and ethical product choices. The market is seeing a consumer movement that looks for open business practices and product purchases reflective of personal values and beliefs. As a result, the jewellery industry has experienced beneficial transformations.
Hallmarks of Ethical jewellery
- Transparent supply chains are key in ethical and sustainable jewellery production, and a key part of this is knowing the origin materials to the specific mine. Ethical brands maintain visibility on their entire production line and material sourcing practices.
- Recycled metals, such as silver, gold, and platinum, along with repurposed gemstones minimizes the need for new mining operations. This decreases the overall environmental impact. Plus, recycling these materials preserves their high quality and longevity.
- Ethical gemstone sourcing must include conflict-free diamonds that exceed the Kimberly Process’ basic requirements. These gemstones go a step further, with jewellers verifying no human rights abuse or environmental damage occurred during production. Responsible mining practices and fair labour conditions don’t just apply to diamonds; they must be in place for every gemstone.
- Lab-created gemstones offer a sustainable and ethical option for businesses compared to traditional mining operations. These stones match their mined counterparts both physically and chemically, while eliminating the expenses and damage associated with mining.
How to Tell if jewellery is Ethical
There are various third-party certifications that you can check for to validate sustainable practices and ethical standards when purchasing jewellery. Some of the main ones include:
- The Fairtrade Gold certification, which verifies that gold comes from small-scale miners who earn a fair wage and maintain safe working environments alongside implementing environmental protection protocols.
- Fairmined, which provides certification to responsible small-scale and artisanal mining organizations that operate gold and precious metal mining operations with high social and environmental standards.
- The Responsible jewellery Council (RCJ), which operates as the industry’s primary standard-setting authority to monitor business ethics alongside human rights standards and environmental protection.
The Impact of Choosing Ethical jewellery
By choosing jewellery that has been ethically produced, you are involved in a broader movement for positive change. Ethical sourcing guarantees that industry workers receive fair pay while working in a safe environment. This leads to better living conditions and community growth. Plus, the use of recycled materials, lab-grown gems, and responsibly sourced resources reduces water pollution, carbon emissions, deforestation, and other environmental damage. Overall, ethical jewellery leads to a better world for us all.
Be part of this positive change and choose ethically produced for your next jewellery piece. Browse the extensive range of stunning, ethical, sustainable, and eco-friendly jewellery at Vinny & Charles.
