Dispatches launch Real price of Gold pledge

Sign up to the pledge: you can change things by demanding to know where your gold comes from.

This pledge is related to the Dispatches programme The Real Price of Gold. Some of the biggest British high street jewellery shops are misleading you about where the gold in their jewellery comes from. Their gold jewellery could be mined by children working in deadly conditions, using mercury with their bare hands. Gold mining can cause devastating pollution. Producing an average gold ring creates more than 18 tonnes of waste rock. There is an alternative – Fairtrade and Fairmined gold and 100% recycled gold – but hardly anyone sells it.

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/dispatches/articles/the-real-price-of-gold-pledge

Fairtrade Campaigner Strikes Gold

Greg accepts his award with miner Americos whilst Livia Firth cheers!

We are all pretty excited. 15 years after setting up CRED Jewellery, Greg Valerio has received recognition for his tireless campaigning for responsible mining. Last night at the Observer Ethical Awards he was presented with the award for Global Campaigner. It comes in an exciting year which has so far seen the launch of the Fairtrade Fairmined gold standard and the first Fairtrade gold jewellery to go down the Oscars red carpet worn by Livia Firth, wife of actor Colin Firth.


At last night’s ceremony Greg accepted his trophy together with Luis Americo Mosquera, one of the Colombian gold miners from Oro Verde who CRED invited to the UK for London Jewellery Week. It was fitting as Americo has been working with OroVerde since Greg and CRED Jewellery started working on creating the fairtrade standards at the Colombian gold mine over 10 years ago.


It was the Oro Verde mine which created the gold for Livia Firth’s Oscars pieces that she wore when husband Colin accepted his Academy Award for Best Actor so it was great to be able to introduce Americo to Livia Firth at the awards ceremony last night.

Livia & Colin Firth meet miner Americos

For more aboiut the Observer Ethical Awards and to see the other Winners, visit the website

2 for 1 Tickets to the Jewellery Event of the Year

The gold has been polished and the rocks sparkle - We are getting ready for the jewellery event of the year - London Jewellery Week, including Treasure, an exhibition of the most exciting contemporary designers where jewellery will be on sale, from affordable to luxury.

Following it's sucess in 2010, once again CRED Jewellery are curating Essence, the ethical jewellery pavillion, inviting some of the amazing ethical and Fairtrade jewellery designers who are as passionate for the cause as we are. Essence is now in its second year, but this year we are even more excited about the line-up we have pulled together.

This year the big story is Gold. Fresh from the launch of Fairtrade and Fairmined Gold in February, this year will showcase the first pieces designed with this gold and marked with the Fairtrade stamp.

The Fairtrade Foundation is sponsoring the Essence exhibition and will be hosting an invitation only evening reception for an exclusive first look at the gorgeous jewellery designs on offer.

The pavillion space has been designed by the MA students at London Met, creating an space reflecting the intimate feel of an elegant and luxurious salon with an eye-catching entrance and individual diplays for each of the exhibitors.

Essence is part of Treasure, held at Victoria House near Holborn.
Tickets £5 - Fri 12 noon – 5pm, Sat/Sunday 10am – 6pm.

To get 2 tickets for the price of one, download this 2for1 voucher to show at the door for entry to Treasure and Essence. Follow us on Twitter @CredJewellery and on facebook for an exclusive competition to win weekend passes to the Treasure and Essence exhibitions.

You can pick up your 32-page guide to the full London Jewellery Week events in tomorrow's Evening Standard ES Magazine.