In what could have major implications for the entire gem community interested in Fair Trade Gems, Columbia Gem House is attempting to trademark the term, “Fair Trade Gems”. From my understanding of this matter, if any one company owns the term “Fair Trade Gems”, no other company will be able to use it legally in

The Battle of Greenland Ruby By: Ms. Tida Ravn Nuuk, Greenland This article by Tida Ravn published in 2008 kicked off a media storm in Greenland. It gives a first hand account of the origins of the 16th August Union, the Inuit Group struggling to retain their rights to collect, polish and sell the rubies

Introduction: What is an ethically sourced gemstone and who supplies them? While Columbia Gemhouse is widely known, other suppliers are coming on line as well, including the “Open Source” Platform developed by Mike Angenent. (This is the second of two articles that explore new ethical sources for colored gemstones that are coming into the market.)