A Recommended Relationship with Diamonds and Gold
Understanding the Connection Between Diamonds, Gold and Justice Issues
Before we got engaged, my boyfriend and I went “window shopping” for engagement rings together. I was surprised by the buffet of choices before us. Clarity, cut, carat, karat, halo, solitaire, princess, cushion, vintage, white gold, yellow gold, rose gold, and more! But amidst all the guides and tutorials for how to find your perfect ring, I was underwhelmed that ethics and sourcing weren’t getting the limelight. To me, human rights and environmental concerns ought to be talked about way earlier than style.
In the hope of balancing the scales of the e-guides out there, I’ve gathered useful information about ethical rings as an introduction to the important discussion of conscious jewellery buying. This post will have a basic layout of “Problems” and “Solutions” (though admittedly those titles are oversimplified).
The ring Nate chose for me is from Taylor and Hart, a jeweller using Fairtrade gold and GIA certified diamonds.
Diamonds
Problems
“Blood Diamonds” - Diamond mining and trade has long had a bloody history. “Blood diamonds” are diamonds mined in areas of conflict, sold to finance militaries and rebel militias. As well, civil wars occur when rival groups fight to control diamond-rich territory. [1]
Child Labour - Children are regularly employed in the diamond mining industry. Many child miners do not attend school and, as adults, these children can only continue working as miners. [2]
Unfair Wages - In Africa, one million diamond diggers earn less than one US dollar a day - a wage below the extreme poverty line. Independent miners often lack access to global markets and have little choice but to sell their diamonds to middle-men at below market price. [2]
Unsafe Work Conditions - Many small-scale diamond miners work in extremely dangerous conditions due to lack of training, safety equipment and proper tools. Miners are at risk of landslides, mine collapses and other accidents. [2]
Solutions
GIA Certified Diamonds - Diamonds from traceable and ethical sources are empowering communities, creating valuable jobs and funding new schools. The Geological Institute of America (“GIA”) is an internationally recognised service that validates the origin of diamonds, including their country of origin. [3, 4]
Lab Diamonds - “Manmade diamonds” are created in a lab and have the same physical, chemical and optical properties as mined diamonds. Lab diamonds are a great option for customers wanting a mine-free alternative, or those wanting a larger stone within their budget (lab diamonds tend to be more affordable than natural diamonds). [5]
Moissanite and More - In addition to lab diamonds there are “diamond simulants” (moissanite being a popular one). These diamonds look similar to diamonds, but they don’t have the same chemical or physical properties to natural or lab diamonds. Therefore, simulants sell at much lower prices than manmade diamonds. [5]
Read More - The Good Trade has an article recommending stylish ethical & conflict-free engagement rings, and Brilliant Earth have a great website to both shop and learn more.
Gold
Problems
Poverty - Globally, around 30 million people earn a livelihood mining gold - a livelihood characterised by high levels of poverty. Most mining communities lack basic sanitation and access to safe drinking water, education and healthcare. [6]
Small-Scale Miners - 90% of the gold mining labour force is made up of small-scale miners. Because mining laws are usually geared towards large-scale industrial mining, small-scale miners struggle to access legal mining rights and are vulnerable to informal or illegal operations. [6]
Unfair Wages - Although gold is a multi-billion dollar industry, mining gold often yields little for small-scale miners (who are at the end of long and complex supply chains). They have little option but to accept the price offered by traders, however low. [6]
Unsafe Work Conditions - The extraction process of gold requires the handling of toxic mercury and cyanide, posing serious health risks. Hazardous conditions and inadequate health and safety measures are commonplace for small-scale miners. [7]
Solutions
Fairtrade Certified Gold - Fairtrade Gold is the world's first independent ethical certification system for gold. It aims to improve working conditions for miners, ban conflict from the supply chain, ensure proper safety equipment and policies are in place, and give a premium “Fairtrade Minimum Price” to small-scale gold miners. [8, 9, 10]
Buy Fairtrade Gold Jewellery - Thanks to Fairtrade UK you can download a full list here of jewellers who sell Fairtrade gold certified jewellery.
Recycled Metals - Choosing to buy jewellery made with recycled metals decreases the global demand for newly mined gold. Precious metals can be recycled repeatedly without degrading their quality. [11]
Recycling Metals - You can recycle your gold and platinum jewellery with Brilliant Earth to receive credit towards any purchase of their “Beyond Conflict” products (find out more here).
Environmental ConcernS
Problems
Devastated Landscapes - The mining of precious metals can be very damaging to the environment. 20 tonnes of ore are required to produce enough gold for one ring. Due to inadequate planning and regulation, diamond mining has wreaked environmental havoc throughout Africa and other parts of the world. [11, 12, 13]
Disease - Abandoned diamond mining pits litter landscapes. These pits fill with stagnant rainwater, become infested with mosquitoes and serve as breeding grounds for malaria. [13]
Re-routed Rivers - In order to expose riverbeds for mining, rivers and re-routed and dams are constructed, both with disastrous effects on fish and wildlife. Irresponsible diamond mining can cause soil erosion and deforestation, eventually relocating local populations. [13]
Toxic Waste - Many gold mines dump their toxic waste directly into natural water bodies. “Dirty gold mining” regularly releases cyanide, mercury and other toxic substances into the environment. [14]
Solutions
Improved Mining Practices - We consumers can choose to exclusively buy from jewellers who state and certify that their outsourced mining habits were appropriately sustainable.
Reduced Demand - Reducing the demand for newly mined metals is one response for environmentally concerned jewellery shoppers. Vintage and recycled jewellery are great options.
Rehabilitated Landscapes - Landscapes altered by diamond mining can be rehabilitated. In Canada, Namibia, and Botswana, land restoration is scheduled ready for when mining operations cease. In Sierra Leone, local communities are work with international partners to fill in the mining pits, bring back native species and replace lost topsoil. [13]
Sources
[1] Brilliant Earth, Violence, [2] Brilliant Earth, Labour, [3] Brilliant Earth, Conflict Diamond Facts, [4] Geological Institute of America, [5] Brilliant Earth, Lab Created Diamonds, [6] Fair Gold, Q&A, [7] Fairtrade Canada, Gold, [8] Fairtrade International, Gold Standard, [9] Fairtrade, Gold and Precious Metals, [10] Fairtrade UK, [11] Brilliant Earth, Recycled Gold & Platinum, [12] The Good Trade, Ethically Sourced Diamonds, [13] Brilliant Earth, Environment, [14] Gold Mining and the Environment