Marc Choyt

When a company markets "fair trade jewelry," might that mean in terms of actual manufacturing? There is no established standard. Yet jewelry manufacturing is complex and toxic. This article explores lessons concerning safety and cultural issues based on jewelry factory visits in Bali, Indonesia.

Third party certified "fair trade" jewelry does not exist; yet if you google "fair trade jewelry" millions of sites come up. Written for the consumer and the trade, this short article, extensively researched and referenced, sorts though challenges around ethical sourcing in the jewelry sector. The article concludes that transparency is more valuable than any "fair" or "eco" labeling.

The blood diamond issue is no longer in the news, yet these diamonds still are widely traded. This insider's view, written by a jeweler, gives a present day and historical context to the diamond trade. Ultimately the consumer concerned about ethics is empowered to make informed decisions when purchasing their own diamond.

There's a great deal of confusion and misleading information around fair trade jewelry. While there is no such thing as third party certified fair trade jewelry, many companies sell fair trade jewelry. This interview with Carmen Iezzi, director of the Fair Trade Federation, clarifies why fair trade jewelry is listed as a product category on their website.

Steve D'Esposito, executive director of Earthworks, discusses his organization of a multi-sector "Ethical Jewelry Summit" on socially and environmentally sourced jewelry production. This article discusses some of the issues involved in the very early stages of this important movement in the mainstream jewelry world. The summit is to take place in Washington DC, Oct. 25th and 26th.