ethicalweddings.com

We’re delighted to report that Fairtrade Labelling Organisations International (FLO) and the Alliance for Responsible Mining (ARM) have launched the first ever third party independent certification for gold, opening up market opportunities for millions of impoverished artisanal small-scale miners and their families.

This means that by the time you say ‘I do’ you could be slipping your finger into a Fairtrade and Fairmined certified wedding ring.

What a great way to seal your vows and celebrate your new life together – with a ring that:

• helps reduce poverty faced by artisanal and small-scale gold miners
• minimises the environmental impacts of gold mining
• is completely traceable

The new Fairtrade and Fairmined gold standards will mean that interested licensees can apply for certification of gold products such as jewellery, commemorative coins, ingots, medals, trophies and religious artefacts.

Harriet Lamb, Executive Director of the Fairtrade Foundation said:

Our research shows that customers believe buying jewellery for a special occasion holds greater value and significance if it carried the Fairtrade and Fairmined hallmark. People said that the label reassures both the giver and receiver that the miners are getting a better deal.

Start asking your local jewellers now if they will be offering Fairtrade and Fairmined certified products – and if not, why not!

Fairtrade and Fairmined gold will launch in the UK first and then be rolled out to other countries with a long term vision of capturing 5% of the gold jewellery market over a 15-year period – 15 tonnes of Fairtrade and Fairmined gold annually.

• Find out more about what the Fairtrade and Fairmined standards mean for the consumer and for miners.
• Listen to the podcast on Radio 4 – ‘Fairtrade movement turns its attention to gold jewellery’ - with Greg Valerio, founder of Cred Jewellery and now working with the Fairtrade Foundation to campaign for fair trade gold, David Rhode from Ingle and Rhode ethical jewellers, and Sonya Maldar of Cafod.