”Ethical making is a way of designing and producing goods which considers how processes impact people and the environment.”
Responsible and ethical jewellery refers to not only the sourcing and mining of precious metals and gemstones but for the jewellery making process too.
With most high street jewellery brands you can’t easily trace the origins of productions to know if it’s been produced in another country paying the workers unfair wages or machine made in a factory and then possibly assembled by hand in a workshop in England (unethically labelled ‘Made In England’). With fine jewellery designers and makers you have the assurance it’s made from bare metal through to a finished piece in their local studio workshop. 🖤
You might think that handmade jewellery is expensive? 💎 However did you know that sometimes to achieve just a high shine polish on your favourite piece of jewellery might take up to 3 hours or more and this time doesn’t include the designing and making of the piece. By choosing an independent handmade jewellery designer you are supporting not only the local community, but helping to sustain and preserve the craftsmanship and artisanal skill for future generations. 🖤 Choose to be conscious and be, Style Conscious.
A Jewel support local trade community, recycle all precious metal waste and source materials from trusted suppliers. We are using as much as possible Recycled Silver and Gold.
A Jewel stands for quality, timeless, contemporary handmade jewellery which legacy will be passed on to the other generations.
A Jewel is a registered Fairtrade Goldsmith. So, you can always request your items to be made with Fairtrade Gold.
In terms of responsible sourcing, stone supply chains are more complicated than metal supply chains as there are fewer established certification systems in place. There are a handful of accreditation schemes for diamond sourcing, but currently none for gemstones. A Jewel are using trustable suppliers, so on your request we can source traceable diamonds and gemstones as much as possible.
Fairtrade Certified Gold is the world’s first independent ethical certification system for gold. The UK Assay Offices are responsible for applying a Fairtrade mark to jewellery that contains Fairtrade Gold. Akvile Cenkyte is licensed to use the Fairtrade logo on her work which Assay Office will apply by punch or laser. The Fairtrade mark is YOUR guarantee that the gold was responsibly mined and the miners were paid a fair price.
Gold is mined all over the world, the metal-rich rock, known as ore, is extracted from the Earth’s crust. 90% of gold miners globally are artisanal and small-scale miners and an estimated 100 million people worldwide rely on small-scale mining to support their families and communities. Miners work in remote areas and have few other options for making a living.
In non-Fairtrade small-scale gold mines, miners extract the precious metal using toxic chemicals such as mercury, which is harmful for human health and the environment. They simply can’t afford to use safer processing methods. This can cause birth defects, brain and kidney damage, and can contaminate water supplies, entering the food chain through poisoned fish. Small-scale gold mining is the largest source of mercury pollution to air and water combined.
Small-scale miners are also exploited by traders because of their poverty, and the absence of regulation and legal protections. They rarely receive a fair price for their product, even when the world gold price rises, as they are usually offered below the market price. Because of this, these miners struggle to generate enough profit or attract the finance needed to invest in their operations or in safer, more efficient mining practices and technology.
Workers in Fairtrade certified gold mines receive a guaranteed Fairtrade Minimum Price for their gold as well as a Premium to spend on improving their businesses or on community projects, such as education, clean water and healthcare. Fairtrade certification means these small scale-miners meet FAIRTRADE STANDARDS.
This can help them to improve their mining and business practices as well as open the market to generate more sales on better terms. The Fairtrade Gold Standards include strict requirements on working conditions, health and safety, handling chemicals, women’s rights, child labour and protection of the environment.
More information about the Fairtrade Gold: https://www.fairtrade.org.uk/en/farmers-and-workers/gold
