In June, Santa Fe Gold announced plans to open a two billion dollar gold mine just south of my home city of Santa Fe, New Mexico in the Ortiz Mountains. They sent out thousands of glossy brochures to citizens with the headline: “Continuing a Legacy, Setting A New Standard For Mining.” The document opens to

New marks unveiled for Fairtrade gold and precious metal. Brand new FAIRTRADE Marks for gold and precious metals simplify labelling. They signify strengthened standards on health and environmental protection for miners. Round-table discussions with miners will coincide with international meeting on mercury misuse Fairtrade International will unveil its new standard and pricing for gold,

Fairtrade gold is making good progress toward its North American launch. It is not that fairtrade gold has not been available. For the past 18 mesi, I have offered fairtrade gold wedding rings to my customers, most recently purchasing directly from Cookson’s. It is inexpensive to ship the gold and affordable for a small jeweler.