| Have you ever wondered where your jewelry | | | | destructive impact of such practices by eliminating |
| comes from? Where does the gold come from | | | | your financial support. |
| and how is it mined? How are the diamonds | | | | Conflict-Free Diamonds |
| extracted from the earth and how are they sold? | | | | Conflict diamonds, also known as "blood |
| How does the harvesting of the pearls affect the | | | | diamonds", are so named because their sale |
| environment? Unfortunately, the jewelry industry | | | | provides funding for devastating wars and |
| has a long and ugly history of environmental | | | | violence in Africa. They are responsible for the |
| destruction, human rights abuse, and issues with | | | | direct loss of millions of lives. On top of the loss |
| fair trade. In general, there is nothing eco-friendly | | | | of human life, blood diamonds are linked to human |
| about it. | | | | rights abuses such as worker exploitation and |
| That's why it's so important to understand that | | | | violence. Even worse, they are mined using |
| you can make a big difference in the world by | | | | methods that cause tremendous environmental |
| supporting businesses that deal in eco friendly | | | | damage. Eco friendly jewelry can never be made |
| jewelry, which is manufactured using socially and | | | | by using conflict diamonds. |
| environmentally responsible methods. More and | | | | It is difficult to find a conflict free diamonds |
| more jewelry companies are discovering that yes, | | | | because it's hard to guarantee that they are |
| they can make money by selling eco friendly | | | | mined in an environmentally and socially |
| necklaces, earrings, and wedding rings. They are | | | | responsible manner. However there are sources, |
| realizing that more and more people are | | | | such as in Canada, where eco friendly diamonds |
| supporting environmentally responsible businesses | | | | are mined in accordance with strict environmental |
| - they are putting their money where their ideals | | | | regulations, and free of the problems of human |
| are. | | | | rights abuse and violence. |
| Precious Metals | | | | Eco Friendly Pearls |
| The gold mining industry has a poor track record | | | | The production of conventional pearls does not |
| when it comes to labor practices, safety | | | | fare much better than that of diamonds or gold |
| standards, and respect for indigenous peoples, in | | | | when it comes to ecological damage. Many |
| addition to environmental destruction. It takes a | | | | current techniques employed on pearl farms |
| tremendous amount of destructive force to tear | | | | results in environmental havoc, depletion of |
| open the earth and extract the precious metals | | | | species, and destruction of ecosystems by the |
| and gemstones found below. Gold mining is | | | | use of high-powered hoses to clean the oysters. |
| particularly harmful because of the mercury and | | | | It is also common practice to cultivate pearls by |
| cyanide used in the gold mining process, which | | | | using mussel nuclei, thereby depleting native |
| contaminates groundwater sources and destroys | | | | mussel populations. |
| the health of the mine workers, people in nearby | | | | Environmental damage is reduced or eliminated by |
| communities, and local wildlife. | | | | using eco friendly pearl farming techniques. |
| By choosing to buy jewelry made from eco | | | | Kamoka pearl farms in Tahiti, for example, clean |
| friendly gold, you can help to reduce the | | | | their pearls naturally by using different species of |
| environmental and social damage caused by | | | | native tropical fish. Using natural methods such as |
| conventional gold-mining. One of the most practical | | | | this are both labor and cost effective. It also helps |
| ways to do this is to select jewelry made from | | | | to protect the environment by encouraging |
| recycled gold. By simply buying recycled gold that | | | | support of native fish populations. |
| has already been mined, you reduce the | | | | |