Fair Jewelry Action And Reflective Images Featured On MSNBC’S Brian William’s Rock Center
Press On The Sourcing Of Jewelry Strengthening Our Cause – Editorial Comment
By Marc Choyt
Brian William December 5th feature on “The Price of Gold” showed footage of children from Mali digging for gold and breathing in mercury vapors. Greg Valerio, visiting Santa Fe as part of the Ethical Jewelry Summit, was interviewed in my Santa Fe shop. I also had the opportunity to speak a few words in a posted article on the MSNBC site.
This is the second consecutive year that a major national magazine has chosen to focus on gold sourcing issues at the peak of holiday season.
Last year, 60 Minutes put out a special on conflict gold from the Congo. (In that segment, Greg was paid as a behind the scenes consultant by 60 Minutes.) Jewelers of America put out an entire newsletter to their members in response to the expose, offering help on how to spin the issue of conflict gold. I responded to this letter with my own letter to consumers on a post last November.
Jewelers generally do not view this press favorably. A JCK post was headlined, “NBC Newsmagazine Takes Aim At Gold Mining … If consumers are suddenly asking you where you source your gold.”
Excuse me, Mr. and Mrs. Jewelry Sector! Is it a bad thing that someone buying a wedding ring (which happens to represent their most noble and heart felt sentiments) is not made from mercury poisoned child labor? I do not feel that ignorant jewelry buyers who use their money to perpetuate environmental and social atrocities is in the best interest of civil society.
Overall, however, the reaction from the trade was more muted. The difference between this year and last year is illustrative of how far our movement has traveled. In the past, the jewelry trade could lambast NGOs and “the press” for exposing these issues. Now, it is jewelers leading jewelers.
In February, Fairtrade and Fairmined gold was released in the UK and by all accounts it is a major success. In fact, leading the trade groups of jewelers in the UK are major proponents of ethical sourcing, based upon traceability and transparency. Retailers in the US are following suit and also offering fair trade gold. By this time next year, fair trade gold will be widely available for North American jewelers.
In our ethical jewelry summit held at my house last October, the most difficult challenge was how to get the consumer to become aware of the issues.
Journalistic investigation, such as the Brian Williams piece, supports the market that is the future of the trade that I and other members of Fair Jewelry Action are working to build. I celebrate it.
Marc Choyt is founding Director of Fair Jewelry Action, USA . He is president of Reflective Images, which produces artisan fair trade gold wedding rings and engagement rings at Artisan Wedding Rings.
