Posts by Sharon Zimmerman

Six Designers Making Fairmined Gold Jewelry

Meet the designers who are going above and beyond to source gold responsibly

Gold mining is often seen as dirty, polluting, and abusive. And while it often is, it doesn’t have to be. There are so many new initiatives in the jewelry industry that are supporting equity, helping communities, and creating new and better environmental paths.

So let’s talk about Fairmined gold! What it is, how it helps make the world better, and which designers are enthusiastic about making jewelry with it.

What is Farimined Gold?

The Fairmined Gold standard was developed by The Alliance for Responsible Mining (ARM). Since 2012, ARM has been working to create more gender equity, less danger, more resources, and better land stewardship in gold mining. Since it started, they have certified eight mines in South America and Africa.

What you should know about Fairmined Gold

Fairmined principles center on both people and the planet to help communities earn a dignified living and to encourage and support better ecological practices. There are approximately 20 million artisanal and small-scale (ASM) gold miners in the world. Some are operating as part of illegal activity; others are mining to escape poverty. Eight mines worldwide are part of the Farimined network of gold mines.

This is no small undertaking. The Alliance for Responsible Mining seeks out ASM miners to work with to help communities lift themselves out of poverty while also focusing on better and healthier methods of gold mining.

Fairmined operations are meant to stay small. Keeping their operations small not only contains and minimizes environmental damage but also allows for more personal connections between the miners and the organizations who are there to support them.

And while recycled gold is here to stay - in truth, gold has been recycled since its discovery 1000s of years ago - now that we have better options, we can support them. Fairmined gold adds to the choices we have when buying jewelry.

Fairmined gold supports an end to mercury in gold mining

The Alliance for Responsible Mining and the Fairmined process also helps miners curtail and eventually end their use of mercury in the mining process. It takes time, effort, new equipment, and resources for miners to make the switch.

And after all of the mining, certification, refining, and processing, the now-certified gold ends up in the hands of a small but mighty group of jewelry designers, all committed to sourcing and offering their gorgeous work with “gold you can be proud of”.

Jewelry designers who are proud to make Fairmined gold jewelry

The six designers listed have all made a commitment to making all or part of their jewelry in Farimined gold.

These jewelry designers all work with Fairmined Gold as a part of their dedication to a more equitable and fair future in the jewelry industry.

Meet the designers making Fairmined gold jewelry

1) Crown Nine Jewelry makes shopping for jewelry easy

Kate Ellen, the designer behind Crown Nine, a long-running jewelry shop in the Bay Area, has long made a commitment to environmental and human rights causes the cornerstone of her brand.

From her sunny shop in Sebastopol, CA, she makes organic and intentional jewelry to celebrate and commemorate every stage of life

Crown Nine Jewelry makes deep commitments to sourcing responsibly

Always conscientious about how she sources her metal and stones - her line is full of antique diamonds and Montana sapphires - she went through the extra step of getting licensed to use and sell Fairmined gold and now offers the Fairmined option for her entire collection. She even has a full selection of essential gold chains in Fairmined gold.

Why did Crown Nine get licensed to use Fairmined gold?

“My aim has always been to offer the most ethical and responsible products to my clients.” Says Kate Ellen.

“A huge part of what I do on behalf of my clients is research and think about these complex issues. As a consumer, it is a lot of information to metabolize, so I essentially am acting as a filter for them. I can say, ‘Everything that you see before you is the best our current markets offer’”.

“My clients can simply relax and enjoy the creative and artistic process of crafting their milestone jewelry. Fairmined is a no-brainer. It vastly improves the two factors I am always looking for - care for people and care for the planet.”

Shop Crown Nine Jewelry

2) Bliss Lau Jewelry chooses transparency and kindness

Bliss Lau has always offered highly creative and expressive fine jewelry. Her thoughtfulness and intention are evident in each of her designs. For her, offering Farimined gold was core to her belief that all business decisions have an impact.

Bliss Lau even works with one of the few manufacturers in Asia to be licensed to use Farimined gold.

Bliss Lau Jewelry values transparency in her jewelry

“Our Fairmined Gold collection represents the future = Transparently made jewelry. I created a capsule collection of my signature designs,” says Bliss Lau.

“These pieces represent choice, identity, empathy, and kindness, all connecting from the earth to your body, supporting mining communities, families, and the environment.”

“This is a call to action. We must change how gold travels out of the earth and through the world. Knowing where our gold comes from and that it is not contributing to damaging the environment and hurting our bodies, especially as women, is so important. The process of how our jewelry is made is equally as important as the finished piece of beautiful fine jewelry.”

Shop Bliss Lau Jewelry

3) Mercurius Jewelry prioritizes the environment from beginning to end

Mercurius Jewelry is the dynamic duo of Alisa and David Thorp who produce their thoughtful collection and even cut some of their own rare gems and minerals. With a commitment to discovering the most delightful stones possible, it was a natural step to source Fairmined gold too.

Alisa, one half of the powerhouse couple making up Mercurius jewelry says, “Do you follow the philosophy of “know better, do better”?

“We have been a certified California Green business since we opened, but in that time we focused mostly on the environment without enough focus on environmental justice.”

“But now we know better. We were choosing recycled gold as our main metal option without taking into account the nearly 100 million people worldwide who depend on Artisanal and Small Scale Mining (ASM) of gold to survive.”

So now we will do better - beginning in 2021 we transitioned from using recycled gold as our primary metal option to using Fairmined Certified gold as our go-to metal - both for custom pieces and in our own collection”

Many of the stones that they use are cut in-house and sourced directly. They even offer a way to shop by stone and learn more about these rare minerals.”

Shop Mercurius Jewelry

4) Ofrenda Jewelry crafts responsible jewelry for spiritual transformation

Cecilia Echeverri, the designer behind Ofrenda Jewelry, designs symbolic jewelry - rich history and philosophy are her inspirations. As part of a recent design challenge crafted by Fairmined Official, she and 100 other designers worked to design and execute jewelry using all Fairmined gold. The result was her Unity Charm collection - made with all 14-karat Fairminedd gold.

Cecilia is guided by her principles: “Integrity and transparency - we promise to lead an honorable business and be honest about the materials we use while disclosing publicly as much information as we have available.”

“One of our core principles is community development - our commitment and what gets us most excited is to work with artisans and mining communities to support their initiative and have fulfilling livelihoods.”

“As a Fairmined licensed brand, we want to support the effort, commitment, and spirit of certified mines that want to work with sound business practices and be in the right relationship with the community and the Earth. Gold since antiquity has been an allegory for spiritual transformation. Ofrenda Jewelry is crafted from ancient principles to inspire the modern woman and what better way than jewelry made with Fairmined gold, transmuting mining into social impact.”

Shop Ofrenda Jewelry

5) Truss and Ore Jewelry creates jewelry with a positive impact

Ana Brazaityte, designer and owner of this Bay Area-based jewelry brand crafts Bauhaus-inspired jewelry with an intense commitment to supply chain transparency.

“As a business, Truss and Ore is rooted in creating a positive impact. I am committed to working toward a jewelry industry that is beneficial to all people along the supply chain and prioritizes stewardship of the environment. This is reflected in my business and sourcing practices, as well as my volunteer work with educational initiatives and my philanthropic actions.”

Ana uses Fairmined gold in her Lietuva Ring and also for her bespoke and custom pieces. Her commitment to sourcing gemstones responsibly is no less impressive - she selects stones from traceable, mine-to-market sources.

Shop Truss and Ore

6) Melissa Scoppa's thoughtfully designed jewelry in Fairmined gold

Melissa Scoppa makes personal and meaningful jewelry in the Bay Area. Inspired by historic design elements, she crafts pieces that are made to last such as her signet Sundial Ring. Her commitment to using the most responsible material, like Fairmined gold is no less important.

“I got into jewelry because I wanted to make meaningful and beautiful heirloom quality pieces for people to treasure,” Melissa says.

“With more research, I realized that if you are not deliberately being careful about where your precious metals are coming from, you are actually part of a harmful supply chain with impacts being felt by the people and environment where these materials are being mined.”

“When I sought to work in jewelry, I never imagined that the things I was making - my art could be linked to environmental destruction and exploitation. The use of recycled gold is not enough and not meaningful in making an impact on this topic, but by using Fairmined gold, I know exactly where my gold is coming from. I have assurances in place that my gold purchases are actually improving the mining communities and that the beautiful things I am making are helping people not hurting people.”

Shop Melissa Scoppa

Finding hope at the very bottom of the jewelry supply chain is one way that we can make our way forward by increasing ethics and responsibility in the industry. Initiatives like Farimined Gold are working to create better systems that will benefit all of us.

About the Author

Sharon Zimmerman is a profit and eCommerce consultant for product-makers, a metalsmith focused on responsible sourcing, and a member of the Jewelry Glossary Project. She loves torches, hammers, and sharing.

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A Guide to REsponsible Jewelry

The news from the jewelry industry can feel like a lot of doom and gloom. When the Kimberley Process isn’t working to stem the flow of conflict diamonds, when even lab-grown diamonds and sapphires can’t prove their environmental claims, finding the best and most responsible jewelry can feel impossible.

After all, when you went looking for your engagement ring, you probably knew enough to avoid blood diamonds and to look for recycled gold, but how much did you know about all of the even better and more responsible initiatives in the jewelry industry? Let’s dive in!

What are the barriers to finding responsible jewelry?

Transparency and traceability remain the biggest stumbling blocks when looking for responsible jewelry. While there have been some improvements in tracing materials like gold and sapphires, tracing the origin of diamonds - naturally mined or lab-grown - is still a murky process. Making the supply chains easier to track and trace is vital to being able to know whether or not your jewelry is responsibly made.

How can I find better sources of responsible jewelry?

Enter a bevy of projects and programs in the jewelry industry that are designed to increase equity, reduce harm and provide better traceability for your gold, sapphires, diamonds, and finished jewelry. In other words, there are so many better ways! And best of all, these options are easier to access than they used to be.

Let’s start with gold.

Is recycled gold a responsible source of gold?

Recycled gold has been the *ahem* gold standard among responsible jewelry brands for decades now, but many in the industry are questioning whether recycled gold goes far enough. In fact, recycling gold has been a standard since the discovery of gold thousands of years ago.

That said, there is one source of recycled gold that you can tap into to recycle responsibly - the gold already in your jewelry box. If you have jewelry you aren’t wearing; one good option is to have your jewelry remade into new pieces. Some jewelers and independent designers will take it on as credit towards your project, and others will actually melt it down (if appropriate) and remake it into a brand-new piece.

Every designer and maker has a different process, so if recycling your jewelry is an option, ask a jeweler if they will work with you.

If gold is recyclable, why is it still mined?

Gold is always a valuable substance, and it is infinitely recyclable, but this same inherent value also makes it still profitable to mine. Because gold is used for electronics, investments (think coins and bars) as well as jewelry, mining continues.

The result of gold mining without oversight, as in the case of some illegal artisanal mining, is that mercury is likely to be released into local water supplies. This makes fixing current gold mining practices and mining sites a priority.

Why is there mercury in the gold mining process?

Mercury is historically the most common way to separate the gold from the ore that it comes from. Mercury adheres to the gold; then artisanal miners burn it off to get to the gold itself. The leftover rock from the ore is now contaminated with mercury.

This rock is called tailings, and this is where future pollution goes from bad to worse. When the ore and tailings are mishandled or improperly stored, mercury leaches into the ground and poisons water sources. The results have been devastating to communities around the world.

What initiatives are working to remove mercury from the mining process?

Changing this system takes time, retraining, and funding. That is where Mercury Free Mining has entered the picture. The work that needs to be done takes years to both remove mercury from this process and repair the land. Their organization is working with mining communities to reduce harm to the environment and create better systems.

In addition, mines that used to use mercury need financial help to repair their land and water systems from environmental damage.

There are fundraising organizations ready to help former mercury-based mining sites in repairing their land. Better Without mercury, an initiative to repair the land around the Gualconda mine in Colombia, raises funds to assist this small-scale mine in environmental recovery.

Are there better ways to mine for gold?

Yes, definitely! In addition to reducing dependence on mercury, there are organizations now that produce better, more fair outcomes for communities that rely on mining for income. This is especially important in those communities where there are limited means to make a living and where there is an unequal path to prosperity for the people most impacted.

Organizations like The Alliance for Responsible Mining (ARM) have developed new strategies in gold mining that use better methods and that consider people and the planet in their mining processes. In 2014 they introduced Farimined gold as a way for both independent jewelers and their suppliers to access better gold sources.

What is Fairmined gold?

The Fairmined system certifies that gold miners must adhere to strict standards that they do not use child labor, that they promote well-being in their community, and that they maintain a small-scale operation to keep their environmental impact small. This is all done cooperatively with miners.

The Fairmined process is audited at many stages of the supply chain. Even jewelers who want to be certified to use Fairmined gold need to go through a routine process of auditing and reporting their inventory.

How do I find a jeweler who uses Farimined gold?

Well, that’s the easy part! Farimined maintains a list of certified jewelers who are licensed to buy and sell Fairmined gold. You can pick from their list and find all kinds of jewelers who you can shop with for either custom or ready-to-wear pieces.

Are there traceable and responsible sources of diamonds?

Great question! This remains one of the most challenging issues in the industry. Navigating diamond shopping is a rabbit warren of information - conflict-free, Kimberley Process, Responsible Jewellery Council certified, recycled, lab-grown - which one is best? Are any of them trustworthy?

Options for traceable and responsible diamonds are still very limited, mostly owing to the fact that the Kimberley Process does not track diamonds from mine to market.

The Kimberley Process Certificate is generated at only one single point and time - when the rough diamond crosses from one non-conflict country into another non-conflict country. That is where the journey of the Kimberley Process begins and ends.

It also does not address issues of human rights or environmental protection. Relying only on this certificate to find a responsibly-sourced diamond won’t guarantee you much responsibility.

Can you find any diamonds with a country of origin?

Diamonds with a known country of origin are not yet widely available. However, there are some new and exciting possibilities on the horizon.

Traditionally, diamond mining exploits workers by underpaying miners for their findings. In most cases, the benefits go to mining corporations and corrupt government officials. There are new initiatives designed to change this system. Root Diamonds is a very new project from Sierra Leone that is working to create its own supply chain.

Their diamonds are mined on a small scale, the diamond cutters are known, and the diamonds themselves are being sold directly and not through intermediaries. This makes the process much more transparent.

Are recycled or antique diamonds responsibly sourced?

Antique diamonds are a great choice for a responsible source of diamonds. With no new mining in the process, you are using existing materials to create new jewelry. While these diamonds don’t have any information about their original mining process or country of origin, they represent a way to repurpose what is already above ground.

Plus, older cuts are unique and more sparkly than newer cuts of diamonds.

You can get an antique diamond by working with an independent jeweler who can source them for you. Be sure that they purchase antique and recycled diamonds that are certified by SCS - a global environmental auditing service - to be sure that they are truly recycled.

How can I buy sapphires responsibly?

When it comes to colored gemstones like sapphires, your number of choices for traceable stones skyrockets. Montana, Australia, and Tanzania all have independent initiatives to mine carefully for sapphires and pay workers fairly.

Fair pay is important because mining and selling raw sapphires in many parts of the world can be a bad deal for the miners. Because of poverty, lack of support, corruption, and more, miners are often offered exploitative prices for their hard work. Initiatives have been developed to offer fairer prices and more prosperity.

One such successful partnership is the organization Pact working hand in hand with Moyo Gems to source, buy, and cut gems to sell to jewelers. They work with the Tanzanian Women’s Mining Collective (TAWOMA) to create a system with more gender equity, better safety, and a fair and transparent pricing system. This process is managed and administered by the collective, leaving them with higher profits and more autonomy.

Their gems are cut by master gem cutters, who are also paid a fair wage. These finished gems are then sold by dealers like Anza, where both jewelry designers and their customers can see what’s available. Moyo Gems even has a list of companies and independent designers who work with these gorgeous stones.

Can costume jewelry be responsibly sourced?

As with so many products, the lower the price, the lesser your chances of being able to trace the origins of your jewelry.

For instance, gold-fill jewelry might be able to claim that the outer gold layer is recycled, but the underlying brass layer might not be, and you might not even be able to find out the source of the brass.

Jewelry made from unknown metals and faux gemstones might have a country of origin for the finished jewelry but not for the random metals themselves.

With fine jewelry, that is, jewelry made from precious metals and stones, the materials can be almost endlessly reused. Platinum, gold, and silver can be melted down; diamonds, sapphires and rubies can be repurposed and reset; chains can be repaired.

Unfortunately, you can’t do the same with costume jewelry. Because it is often made from unknown or unlabeled metal, or from plastic or glass “stones”, or a layer of gold or silver over a base metal, melting and repurposing isn’t always possible. Costume jewelry almost always has little to no resale value unless it has a major designer name attached.

How can you recycle costume jewelry?

Enter The Radical Jewelry Makeover project. The Radical Jewelry Makeover is a part art project, part radical activism, and a creative and meaningful endeavor. They take donations of old costume jewelry, and artists transform these donations into new and reimagined pieces. This project not only helps create a circular fashion cycle, it asks you to consider the longevity of everything you buy.

CONCLUSION

While shopping for and sourcing responsible jewelry might be complex, your options have never been more exciting. These new initiatives point a positive way forward for the jewelry industry. By supporting, shopping with, and knowing about them, you can contribute to a more fair and equitable system.