Resources: Gem and Mining People Going Fair Trade
Here are a few gem and mining sources which are working toward fair trade or already operating on that basis. There are many companies in the firstworld that are producing environmentally responsible gems, but I focus here on those I know that are doing the mining in developing countries.
To add your company, send us an email telling us what you are doing in your field to support Fair Trade, Fair Trade Jewelry, Socially Responsible Business and Eco-Friendly Manufacturing.
Gem and Mining Resources: (There are many companies in the firstworld that are producing environmentally responsible gems, but I focus here on those I know that are doing the mining in developing countries.)
Gems
Columbia Gem House & Eric Braunwart (Wholesale)
www.columbiagemhouse.com
Eric offers perhaps the largest section of fair trade gems available. He has developed criteria and an extensive program behind his work and has his own fair trade mine. He was one of the earliest to get involved with fair trade issues and remains one of its most important spokesman. He also has Tri-Gem Designs, home of Fair Trade Gems at fairtradegems.com
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The Rapaport Group (Diamond Industry)
http://www.diamonds.net/” http://www.diamonds.net/
Martin Rapaport, founder of the Rapaport Group. Martin sponsors the Fair Trade meetings that he held at the JCK Shows. He is currently trying to lay the infrastructure for fair trade diamonds mining out of Sierra Leone.
The Rapaport Group hired Amanda Stark whose title in the organization is “Fair Trade Development.”
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Ronald Ringsrud Co (Emeralds)
www.emeraldmine.com
Supporting charity projects in Colombia for over 15 years. In 2005, Ronald was invited to a ground breaking meeting in Washington DC, hosted by the World Bank and CASM (Communities and Small-scale Mining). In that meeting Fair Trade guidelines for diamonds and colored stones were set. Ron is now working with Fedesmeraldas (National Federation of Colombian Emeralds) in Bogota to establish Fair Trade practices in Colombia.
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Mining
The Association for Responsible Mining, ARM (Independent, global-scale effort, and pioneer initiative)
www.communitymining.org/
Created as an international and multi-institutional organization to bring credibility, transparency and legitimacy to the development of a framework for responsible artisanal and small-scale mining. They are currently producing certified “green gold” in developing countries.
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Hoover and Strong (Refininers and Raw Materials)
www.hooverandstrong.com/
This company, in business for nearly a hundred years, is the preferred metal source for many jewelers concerned about “dirty gold.” Hoover and Strong sells only “Ecogold” which stands for gold refined in the most environmentally friendly fashion possible.
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