Comments on: Make diamonds fair http://ethicalweddings.com/blog/make-diamonds-fair ethical weddings blog Mon, 12 Jul 2010 21:54:18 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Vivien http://ethicalweddings.com/blog/make-diamonds-fair/comment-page-1#comment-37567 Vivien Tue, 26 Feb 2008 12:39:08 +0000 http://ethicalweddings.com/blog/?p=297#comment-37567 Hi, I've just been reading up on the comments on fair trade diamonds. Fifi Bijoux is my own ethical jewellery label and I wanted to make a few notes on the issues of fair trade diamonds v synthetics. Whilst I prioritise fairly traded materials (gold & gems; including fairly traded mined diamonds from Lesotho which are cut & polished in fair trading indian cooperatives) there is a limit to whats available - particularly in diamonds. If a client is very specific on the diamond they want (clarity/colour/carat) I may not be able to access that from the Lesotho project, in which case I would offer a Canadian diamond from Polar Bear mines. Mossanite sales are growing where they may not have otherwise since the Blood Diamond was released. However, I will not use these in my jewellery as I have no way of verifiying the conditions in which these are produced. Synthetic stones are subject to treatments which involve chemicals, heat treating or sometimes significant levels of irradiation. The are also just as open as natural stones to being cut & polished by child labour or by exploited workers. I do not believe synthetic diamonds or gems make a contribution 'on the ground' to the miners, or currently address the labour issues within many chinese & indian cutting workshops. If anyone knows otherwise though, I would love you to get in touch , as synthetics are as yet untouched by any ethical standards that I'm aware of and yet are a huge export market for asia. I am an advocate of fair trade and social & enviromental responsibility in the whole supply chain for the jewellery industry. In terms of diamonds, I believe we need a 4 pronged approach : 1. fair trade model to be implemented in more diamond mining sites, with priority to the most impoverished areas. 2. Education - if the miners have knowledge of how to grade & sort diamonds they can command the proper price for these and will not be subject to exploitation at this level 3. Adding value in the country of orgin by cutting & polishing instead of exporting these to do so; or exporting these to workshops which are also fair trading co-operatives with proper ILO standards & environmental stewardship 4. Transparency. This is the key to the whole issue of ethics in the jewellery suppy chain. Then consumers can make informed choices about the materials want. Speaking as someone who knows Greg, he is not using an easy option by using Canadian diamonds - this is simply the best choice available if you are to have a transparent supply chain which supports brand values. Creating a certified fair trade diamond is a mammoth task - there are a very few number of ethical jewellers and a whole industry who stand in the way of making these changes. It will take time, it wont happen overnight. But it is happening, people (with your support)! Fifi xxxxx http://www.fifibijoux.com Hi, I’ve just been reading up on the comments on fair trade diamonds. Fifi Bijoux is my own ethical jewellery label and I wanted to make a few notes on the issues of fair trade diamonds v synthetics.
Whilst I prioritise fairly traded materials (gold & gems; including fairly traded mined diamonds from Lesotho which are cut & polished in fair trading indian cooperatives) there is a limit to whats available – particularly in diamonds. If a client is very specific on the diamond they want (clarity/colour/carat) I may not be able to access that from the Lesotho project, in which case I would offer a Canadian diamond from Polar Bear mines. Mossanite sales are growing where they may not have otherwise since the Blood Diamond was released. However, I will not use these in my jewellery as I have no way of verifiying the conditions in which these are produced. Synthetic stones are subject to treatments which involve chemicals, heat treating or sometimes significant levels of irradiation. The are also just as open as natural stones to being cut & polished by child labour or by exploited workers. I do not believe synthetic diamonds or gems make a contribution ‘on the ground’ to the miners, or currently address the labour issues within many chinese & indian cutting workshops. If anyone knows otherwise though, I would love you to get in touch , as synthetics are as yet untouched by any ethical standards that I’m aware of and yet are a huge export market for asia. I am an advocate of fair trade and social & enviromental responsibility in the whole supply chain for the jewellery industry. In terms of diamonds, I believe we need a 4 pronged approach :
1. fair trade model to be implemented in more diamond mining sites, with priority to the most impoverished areas.
2. Education – if the miners have knowledge of how to grade & sort diamonds they can command the proper price for these and will not be subject to exploitation at this level
3. Adding value in the country of orgin by cutting & polishing instead of exporting these to do so; or exporting these to workshops which are also fair trading co-operatives with proper ILO standards & environmental stewardship
4. Transparency. This is the key to the whole issue of ethics in the jewellery suppy chain. Then consumers can make informed choices about the materials want. Speaking as someone who knows Greg, he is not using an easy option by using Canadian diamonds – this is simply the best choice available if you are to have a transparent supply chain which supports brand values. Creating a certified fair trade diamond is a mammoth task – there are a very few number of ethical jewellers and a whole industry who stand in the way of making these changes. It will take time, it wont happen overnight. But it is happening, people (with your support)! Fifi xxxxx http://www.fifibijoux.com

]]> By: Martin Saunders http://ethicalweddings.com/blog/make-diamonds-fair/comment-page-1#comment-20868 Martin Saunders Fri, 23 Nov 2007 16:13:28 +0000 http://ethicalweddings.com/blog/?p=297#comment-20868 Global witness actually estimate conflict diamonds to be somewhere between 0.5 and 20% of all sales! The wider issue is also that there are huge human rights and other issues beyond conflict diamonds. Examples include corruption, poor-sanitation for miners, the conditions in mining towns such as Kono district in Sierra Leone, child labor etc. The big problem is that if we stop buying African diamonds and buy exclusively Canadian diamonds we severely damage the African economies. This is why we at Blood-Diamond.co.uk set up the Conflict Neutral program (www.conflictneutral.com) where a donation is made with each sale which goes to projects aimed to improve matters. We made sure everything is accountable and it is not for profit so nobody can accuse us of being cynical. This is a could be seen as a little ethically murky because we are saying to people that they should buy diamonds in full knowledge that there are issues attached. However, there is no better option in our view because of the impact of withdrawing sales. Maybe this way we can put enough resources to invest in a conflict free future. Martin Saunders Blood Diamond Ltd. http://www.blood-diamond.co.uk http://www.conflictneutral.com Global witness actually estimate conflict diamonds to be somewhere between 0.5 and 20% of all sales! The wider issue is also that there are huge human rights and other issues beyond conflict diamonds. Examples include corruption, poor-sanitation for miners, the conditions in mining towns such as Kono district in Sierra Leone, child labor etc.

The big problem is that if we stop buying African diamonds and buy exclusively Canadian diamonds we severely damage the African economies. This is why we at Blood-Diamond.co.uk set up the Conflict Neutral program (www.conflictneutral.com) where a donation is made with each sale which goes to projects aimed to improve matters. We made sure everything is accountable and it is not for profit so nobody can accuse us of being cynical.

This is a could be seen as a little ethically murky because we are saying to people that they should buy diamonds in full knowledge that there are issues attached. However, there is no better option in our view because of the impact of withdrawing sales. Maybe this way we can put enough resources to invest in a conflict free future.

Martin Saunders
Blood Diamond Ltd.
http://www.blood-diamond.co.uk http://www.conflictneutral.com

]]> By: Ashley Creek http://ethicalweddings.com/blog/make-diamonds-fair/comment-page-1#comment-2277 Ashley Creek Fri, 17 Aug 2007 15:36:38 +0000 http://ethicalweddings.com/blog/?p=297#comment-2277 To say that the chances of buying a conflict diamond are now less than 1% is incorrect. The conflict in Sierra Leone lasted for a decade and millions of dollars worth of diamonds were shipped all over the world. Those diamonds did not disappear to become clean because the war in Sierra Leone ended or because the Kimberly Process was enacted. Those diamond and diamonds from conflict regions all over the world are still in circulation. Canada is not conflict free. Diamonds from conflict regions are "laundered" when they are smuggled into Canadian mines. Diamond gift giving is "tradition" manufactured by DeBeers to move it's products. Let's start a new tradition. To say that the chances of buying a conflict diamond are now less than 1% is incorrect. The conflict in Sierra Leone lasted for a decade and millions of dollars worth of diamonds were shipped all over the world. Those diamonds did not disappear to become clean because the war in Sierra Leone ended or because the Kimberly Process was enacted. Those diamond and diamonds from conflict regions all over the world are still in circulation.
Canada is not conflict free. Diamonds from conflict regions are “laundered” when they are smuggled into Canadian mines.
Diamond gift giving is “tradition” manufactured by DeBeers to move it’s products. Let’s start a new tradition.

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