Jul 13

Jul 13 Ethical jewellery FAQ

Does the Kimberley Process mean a diamond has been ethically sourced?

In short no. The Kimberley was specifically designed to stop the funds from diamond sales supporting rebel groups fighting against governments. It has never considered working conditions or the pay of the miners involved in producing gemstones, allowing for exploitation for these workers to continue.

Is recycled gold ethical?

Gold has always been recycled, close to 100% of the gold ever mined has been recycled or re-used yet gold mining still causes environmental damage and exploitation of people all over the world. Re-using gold that has already been mined does nothing to help the people at the bottom of the chain, nor does it help to de-contaminate land that has been scared by gold mining.

Read more about the myth of recycled gold here

What is the best ethical metal?

There is very little difference between the two best known gold certification systems, Fairmined and Fairtrade gold, though if we had to recommend one over the other it would be Fairmined as the miners receive a higher premium and the organisation is very responsive and communicates very well.

Both Fairmined and Fairtrade work with miners all over the world, helping to ensure that they receive a fair price for the work they do, reduce the impact on the environment and develop their communities

Are Lab-grown diamonds ethical?.

This is a really complicated question, Lab-grown diamonds offer an alternative to diamonds mined from the earth however they take significant energy resources and the aggressive selling tactics, misinformation and demonisation of small scale miners has made many question the integrity of the industry.

Are coloured stones more ethical than diamonds?

Some are and some aren't there's no default answer. Coloured gemstones haven't got the attention that diamonds have, however, they are often mined in the same places that diamonds are. The DRC, a trouble spot and source of conflict diamonds in the past,also has gold, tourmaline and sapphire deposits. Any commodity that originates from an area involved in conflict and where people live in poverty is likely to be affected by the same issues.

To ensure you are getting an ethically sourced coloured gemstone you need to be as diligent and as alert as you do when buying a diamond. If not more so. As flawed as the Kimberley process is there are at least some procedures in places to stop the flow of illicit diamonds onto the world market.

Is platinum more ethical than gold?

At present there are no certification systems for platinum that guarantee it has been ethically mined like there are for gold. Whilst you can get metals at purport to be ‘100% recycled platinum’ the benefits to the environment and mining communities of ‘recycled metals’ are dubious at best and we recommend Fairmined or Fairtrade white gold as an alternative to platinum.

Can you get ethically produced pearls?

Pearls come from oysters and clams, they are the product of an animal so therefore they are not vegan. Whether or not that means they are by definition unethical depends on your position on veganism.

Some pearls come from farms whereas others are found naturally occurring in wild shellfish. The pearls found naturally occurring in the wild are known as natural pearls and are often rounder in shape, have a deeper lustre and are more expensive than farmed pearls which are known as cultured pearls.