Jewellery industry backs plans to introduce Fairtrade gold standard | News | Retail Jeweller

Jewellery industry backs plans to introduce Fairtrade gold standard

22 September 2010 | By James Knowles

The jewellery industry has backed plans to introduce certified Fairtrade gold on February 14 next year, citing rising concern among consumers over environmental and social issues leading to increased demand for Fairtrade goods.

The Fairtrade Foundation and Alliance for Responsible Mining (ARM) have collaborated on a joint venture to introduce certified fair-trade gold for the first time in 2011, to protect the rights of miners and maintain the environment. The new system will give mines the opportunity to apply for recognised Fairtrade status, and retailers the chance to offer consumers certified gold for the first time. Applicant mines will be visited by independent certification auditor Flo-Cert, to ensure the mine is compliant with the Fairtrade standard. The Foundation is also currently in talks with the Assay Office to develop a Fairtrade ‘jewel-stamp’ that will sit next to traditional hallmarking and prove validity.

Greg Valerio, Fairtrade Foundation business development manager said the introduction will increase transparency, and allow retailers to prove to customers that their gold comes from a Fairtrade source. He said: “This is the first time there has been a Fairtrade gold standard. Right now there isn’t any traceability, and jewellers don’t know where their gold has come from. Having a certified gold source will reassure customers and add value to retail jewellers’ businesses.”

Jewellery retailers and brands have backed the move, due to increased political awareness among the public on green issues leading to greater demand for Fairtrade products.

Christian Cheesman, director of Cred Jewellery, which has two stores in London and ten stockists, echoed this. He said: “It’s essential we take responsibility for the impact of our sourcing and as an industry the potential benefit we could deliver through ethical and Fairtrade sourcing are vast.”
He added: “We’re busier than ever and finding a lot more people who are ethically conscious and want to make a positive choice, particularly with engagement and wedding rings.”

Trend Alert - Stacking Bangles!

With stacked bangles having been seen on the wrist of our favourite icons such as Diane Kruger (above) and mix and match jewellery staying for yet another season, here at CRED we wanted to show you how easy this look is to create.

As part of our own Saphara collections, designed by Annabel Panes, you have 4 different bangles to choose from. Images left from top, Hex Stacking Bangle, Pipal Bangle and the Twisted Hex Bangle. All the bangles are hand made in Nepal from 100% recycled sliver. Each bangle is designed to work with the other 3 as well as standing alone. The simple detail of these beautiful bangles means when stacking them the look isn’t over the top.

The choice between the recycled sliver or the fair trade gold plated means you can create this look no matter what skin tone you have. Or even mix it up and wear both. The choice is down to you, all I can say is I know how I will be wearing mine.

Over the last season we have seen celebrities such as Sophia Bush (One Tree Hill) and Sarah Jessica Parker wearing stacking bangles. These were seen as key parts of both formal or casual outfits.
Image via mystyle.com

Stack'em high

One of the biggest trends we have seen appearing recently is for mix and match, layering and stacking. With the light chains and pendants on offer it is difficult to go over the top or make if look too heavy.

Kate Hudson shows us how it is done with her effortless style of layering pendants, bangles and stacking rings.

Image via FabSugar

The great thing about stacking jewellery is that you also have the pieces to wear individually for different or more delicate looks. Stacking rings are a great flexible accessory:

These rings are made from fair trade gold and with ethically sourced stones. The warm yellow gold stacker ring collection has Red Garnet, Tanzanian Ruby and Canadian Diamond. The white gold stacking rings have purple Amethyst, deep green Tourmaline and Canadian Diamond. Each ring is available seperately as well as part of a set of three, so you can choose the colours which best suit you, or just have two stacking for more delicate fingers.

This trend will be continuing into next season as it is not just our clothes we will be layering...

The Hot Topic: Ethics in the jewellery industry.

Sunday saw the launch of International Jewellery London 2010 where Greg Valerio, founder of CRED Jewellery, led a seminar entitled ‘Making Fairtrade and Fairmined Gold a Reality’ to members across the jewellery industry. The subject of ethics in the industry continued throughout the show with further debates on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The Sunday session looked at how the jewellery industry can use the Fairtrade and Fairmined gold dual standard to improve the lives of miners and their communities, exploring the issues behind dirty gold, the positive options open to the jewellery industry and the benefits to producers, retailers and consumers.

In response to the session Greg said “The session was received very well by the 50-70 people seated at the seminar. In general smaller jewellers, retailers and independents are very open to the opportunities and the end of the session saw more licensees want to come into the system. The Birmingham Assay Office, who hosted the session, has been very helpful in regard to the Fairtrade and Fairmined standard.”

There was a great quality of probing questions coming from those at the session, which is exciting to see for those who have been working for so long towards the moment where the industry embraces the ethical issues.

Some of the biggest questions were about product composition. Where jewellery is often a mix of components; gold, precious stones and even a mix of metal - how does the Fairtrade and Fairmined label for gold impact the finished product if the ring has Fairtrade and Fairmined gold but not a certified diamond...

A concern that arises whenever the Fairtrade standards are launched in a new industry is that if a retailer creates some Fairtrade products, what does it say about the other products they offer? Does it demine them? This is a genuine concern, but one that has never been realised in every other sector where Fairtrade has been introduced. Rather than driving customers away it actually reinforces customer loyalty - no-one wants to be seen as unethical.

Greg was also asked whether there would be an introduction of Fairtrade and Fairmined silver at this stage, but research has found no mines that are producing silver to the standards required. Recycled silver remains the most ethical option.

It seems that there are still some ‘jewellery fundamentalists’ who refuse to acknowledge the ethical issues are here to stay and the industry will have to change to adopt this new culture. They say it is ‘greenwashing’, or ‘impossible’. But how can it be impossible to achieve what has already been done in creating a Fairtrade and Fairmined standard that there is consumer demand for.

Taking time to look around the show Greg was encouraged, especially by the inspiring creations offered by the New Designers. There were also intentionally ethical designers showing in the main section – not hidden away in a special ethical section.

However, he found it was noticeable that there has been no development overall in jewellery branding and marketing, but that it remains very monotonous and un-original with the focus on romanticising or sexing up the products. No company was talking about source as if they are afraid of making the link between the source and product. The source and mining sounds ugly whereas the finished product is beautiful, and it could be seen that any link could demolish the mysticism that has surrounded fine jewellery.

The raising of the ethical issues is changing the terms under which jewellery is sold and marketed. For some companies to adopt this culture shift they will have to change their entire company mindset, which can take a large amount of time and money. They want the benefits without the hassle.

CRED recognised as trendsetters in HOT 100

Last night, at the Professional Jeweller Hot 100 event it was announced that Christian Cheesman, designer and director at CRED is one of the jewellery designers that has inspired the industry in 2010. The Hot 100 top influencers, including trendsetters, retailers, business big-shots and emerging designers, are listed in the book published by Professional Jeweller and launched at the event.

The acheivements of CRED Jewellery have seen ethical jewellery reaching new arenas. From starting out as a lone voice calling for more ethical jewellery 15 years ago, CRED have played a major role in the creation of the Fairtrade & Fairmined gold standards and are affecting a culture shift towards the embracing of ethical issues in the jewellery industry and by consumers.

In the first half of 2010 CRED have opened a new London studio making ethical jewellery available in the nations capital, created the world's first collaborative ethical jewellery show with the Ethical Jeweller Pavillion at London Jewellery Week and launched a new generation of jewellery graduates onto the scene with the John Cass Jewellery School...and there are still months of 2010 to go, so watch this space!

CRED Jewellery is influencing the industry in a positive vein towards the adopting of ethical and ecological issues, and it is a great achevement to be recognised in the same category as trend influencers such as celebrity designer Stephen Webster and craftsman Shaun Leane.