Meghan Connolly Haupt, Of C5 Company On Ethical Sourcing
An exclusive Fairjewelry.org interview.
Introduction:
Meghan is an activist and a jewelry designer who has been in the forefront of ethical sourcing for her own customers. She is both passionate and fearless in marketing and educating the public about a wide variety of supply chain issues. This interview was conducted via email.
~ Marc Choyt, Publisher
Marc: First, tell us something about your background as an activist in sustainability issues.
Meghan: I appreciate that you are starting the interview with this question, as sustainability is the reason I got involved in the jewelry industry. Throughout my career, I have bounced back and forth from the nonprofit sector to the for-profit sector, but I have always pursued social justice and environmental responsibility. My graduate study centered around corporate ethics and responsibility and I am the founding director of CSRwire.com, a communication service that promotes sustainability and transparency.
Marc: What inspired you to get into the jewelry business?
Meghan: The short answer is that I got married. For the first time in my life, I was in the market for fine jewelry and realized rather quickly that the traditional jewelry industry was failing conscious consumers. I figured that there had to be other consumers, like myself, who feel that they shouldn’t have to sacrifice their social or environmental values for a beautiful piece of jewelry. It seemed like sustainability had grown in every industry (transportation, agriculture, fashion) except the jewelry sector and I was compelled to help others have jewelry that they could truly feel good about.
Marc: As an outsider at least to the jewelry sector, what are some of the things that have surprised you most?
Meghan: The market for sustainable jewelry is much broader than I had initially realized. It isn’t just the tree huggers who are interested in our products. In fact, my first custom client was a single woman in her sixties who is an auto racing journalist. She said she had wanted to buy herself a special ring for years and was thrilled to create a piece that matched her personality while being manufactured responsibly.
Marc: What is your vision of your company, C5 Company? And how did it come up with its name?
Meghan: Diamonds are typically valued by the 4 C’s: cut, carat, clarity, and color. I founded the company on the belief that the social and environmental impact should also be a factor in determining the value of the diamond, and propose that consciousness be the 5th C. C5 stands for cut, carat, clarity, color AND consciousness.
We are expanding our ready-to-wear product line while we continue to provide custom jewelry services. We are also seeking out new sustainable jewelry designers with which to partner. As C5 grows, we will be in an increasingly better position to impact the jewelry industry as a whole. Our ultimate goal is to raise the standard of living for those whose lives are most impacted by the jewelry industry.
Marc: When we met, you told me a story about calling a major buyer for a large company. What did it take to get her to understand some of the issues you are passionate about?
Meghan: Most people with whom I communicate get it pretty quickly; when beauty and craftsmanship are equal, it makes sense to go with the more socially and environmentally responsible option. The disconnect is not in the understanding, it is in the action. Right now, it is too easy for consumers to compromise because there are only a few of us offering responsible alternatives. It is even easier for retailers to compromise when they don’t feel that consumers are driving demand.
Marc: Can you share some insights that might be helpful to the greater community in this movement toward greater responsibility in sourcing?
Meghan: There is great energy being harnessed by groups like the Madison Dialogue, but it can only go so far as each of the participants has business objectives that must be met first and foremost. We need a third-party agency to create industry standards based on stakeholder involvement and that has the authority to conduct monitoring and authorization. The standards could be reflected by a universal symbol of sustainability based on social and environmental principles and that symbol could be branded on all jewelry manufactured that meets the determined criteria. This is, of course, a lofty vision, but we need to move the conversation to a higher level and involve a group with expertise in standards and compliance. We have to make it easier for consumers to support companies committed to sustainability.
Marc: Anything else you would like to add?
Meghan: The sustainable jewelry movement is picking up momentum as consumers become educated to the fact that responsible jewelry alternatives are now available where they can have beauty, craftsmanship and sustainability. The most important thing we can do is to continue getting the information out.
