Zimbabwe Allowed to Remain Part of Kimberley Process
10 November 2009
As a perfect example of the failing of the the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KP), Zimbabwe, a country whose sale and trade of blood diamonds is well documented, is allowed to remain a member of the organization.
According to the Wall Street Journal, KP members decided instead to send a monitor to Zimbabwe to supervise the country’s diamond production and impose a 12-month timeline for reforms.
Under the agreement, Zimbabwe is banned from exporting any stones from the Marange fields until the monitor arrives, which could take weeks or even months.
The decision not to suspend Zimbabwe came as a shock to many as there is much evidence to prove that Zimbabwe is in fact trading in blood diamonds.
- In May, Ian Smillie, one of the founders of the Kimberley Process stepped down stating that KP was failing and that he could no longer associate with the effort.
- In June, the organization Human Rights Watch released a report that detailed how Zimbabwe’s armed forces were forcing children and adults into labor, and torturing and beating local villagers on the Marange fields.
- In July, a KP review mission visited the South African nation and reports circulated that the KP team had recommended a six-month suspension for Zimbabwe.
- Following the events of the summer, various industry organizations, including the World Diamond Council and the International Diamond Manufacturers Association, called upon the governments that comprise the KP to take action in ending the problems in Zimbabwe.
More on ‘60 Minutes’ panic
6 November 2009
My good friend and colleague, Marc Choyt who writes the Fair Jewelry blog, also wrote about the reaction to the upcoming 60 Minutes piece about gold from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Read our original post then read Marc’s opinion on the issue. Like me, he sees the CBS coverage as an opportunity, not an attack.
Composite rubies being sold as natural at major department store
6 November 2009
ABCs ‘Good Morning America’ show revealed this week that Macy’s department store was selling composite rubies as natural gems.
The five-and-a-half minute story, produced by Good Morning America, sheds light on the fact that certain department stores are selling composite rubies–those that are a mix of natural ruby and lead-glass–without proper disclosure to their customers. As you would imagine, composite rubies have far less value than a natural ruby and are less durable. Without knowing what you are purchasing, you wouldn’t know how to care for the jewelry or if you are getting a good deal.
While in a Macy’s during the undercover excursion, the correspondents were blatantly told that the pieces they were buying contained real rubies, weren’t treated and didn’t need any special care.
More information about this story on National Jeweler.
“JA warns industry about ‘60 Minutes‘ segment” screams the top of the article on National Jeweler.
I think it is appropriate, given the mission of Jewelers of America (JA) and National Jeweler (NJ), for them to inform the thousands of traditional jewelry retailers across the country about consumer education that could have a significant impact on their businesses. Those organizations are set up to help traditional retailers be successful, so it seems logical that they would “warn” their constituents. They even offer some advice on how to handle potential backlash in a positive way.
What I do find unfortunate about this situation is that the mainstream retailers don’t seem to be using this as an opportunity to learn more about the issues. Instead, the retailers are attacking the media for covering the issue. Retailers appear to feel personally attacked and like the media is only reporting the issue to stifle holiday sales.
The article on NJ is fairly unbiased, but the comments provided by the retailers are frankly appalling. Not one person has said “hey, let’s take this information and see what we can do to make gold mining more sustainable.” What is clear from the comments is that a lot of jewelry retailers couldn’t care less about sustainability or the people in developing countries most impacted by the mining industry.
Read the comments for a little insight into the mentality of some traditional jewelry retailers.
November birthstone: gem of friendship
2 November 2009
Topaz, the November birthstone, derives its name from the Sanskrit word ‘tapas,’ which means fire.
Topaz as once believed to sweeten dreams and dispositions. The wearer of a topaz was thought to exhibit gracious and charistmatic qualities that led to the gem’s nickname ‘The Gem of Friendship.’
Topaz is a beautiful gem that comes in a variety of colors with the most rare being natural pink, red and golden orange. The ready availability of blue topaz makes it affordable and popular. In addition to pink, red and blue, topaz is found in shades of yellow, green, brown and even clear. Colorless topaz can be confused with colorless sapphires and even diamonds.
Though topaz is a durable and accessible gem, it is remains difficult to find pure color topaz that has not been color enhanced through irradiation or heating. Fair-trade topaz are also quite rare.
Fight for rights of Greenland’s gems
26 October 2009
Greenland, the world’s largest island, is a self‐governing Danish province located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, East of the Canadian Arctic. Many gemstones have been found in Greenland including diamonds, rubies, and pink sapphires to name just a few. The past several years have marked a complicated struggle of the mineral resources between the government and the indigeous people.
In 1966, ruby was first discovered in West Greenland. In 2004, True North Gems (TNG), a medium-sized Canadian mining company, obtained an exclusive exploration license of a 3600 square kilometer area.
The fight for native mineral rights in Greenland gained momentum and public attention when William Rohtert, a geologist and gemologist from Los Angeles and who had worked for TNG, got involved. Rohtert had deep empathy for the Greenland marginalized people, particularly for the Inuit. He is of Native American ancestry and this coupled with his professional skills made him ideally positioned to help the artisanal miners in their struggle against the Danish.
With the help of Rohtert, the indigenous people including Niels Madsen, learned how to professionally prospect, facet and polish gems. He also imparted true knowledge of their wealth and value, which created conflict with True North Gems and the Danish run Bureau for Minerals and Petroleum (BMP).
On the 16th of August, 2007, Madsen and friends went to protest their rights in law by prospecting ruby on the TNG exploration site. In Danish mineral law TNG had no exploitation license that would have granted them exclusivity and therefore had no legal power to stop the protest.
TNG called in the BMP to arrest and confiscate the ruby collected by Niels and his four friends. This action by BMP was not strictly lawful, but the lack of accountability meant that they had the power.
This injustice catalyzed the creation of the 16th August Union, which takes its name from the infamous date the miners were arrested. The arrest led to an island wide clamp down on all indigenous local people having rights to gem mining.
The 16th August Union is Greenland’s first official small-scale miners association. The aim of the union is to work with the with the Danish Bureau for Minerals and Petroleum (BMP) to reach a fair agreement that allows indigenous people right to the land.
Since then, the BMP have ignored reasoned argument for responsible small scale mining. They have hired lawyers to construct erroneous interpretations of Danish laws to cover up their behavior and to protect the vested interests of TNG.
More information about Greenland’s fight for gem rights is available at FairJewelry.org.
New Report Confirms Failure of Kimberley Process
15 October 2009
The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS), the body created to give consumers peace of mind that conflict diamonds were not reaching the market, has failed.
A new report released by Partnership Africa Canada (PAC) states that the failure of the KPCS is not caused by warlords, but by the governments at the center of the KPCS’ administration that refuse to crack down on smuggling, human right abuses and money laundering.
Accountability is cited as the primary reason why KPCS has been unsuccessful.
The report specifically identifies the massacre of more than 200 diamond diggers in Zimbabwe that should have resulted in the country losing its KPCS status, but that was largely ignored by the organization.
Debate about ‘Fair Trade Gems’ continues
14 October 2009
In his article titled “Columbia Gem House Attempts to Trade-Mark “Fair Trade Gems, ” author Marc Choyt writes:
“‘Fair Trade Gems’ has the potential to be as big a market driver as fair trade coffee has become within ten to twenty years. If any one company monopolizes the trademark for this term, it will become an irreparable hindrance to growth and prosperity in some of the poorest villages in the world. The open-inclusive option is a far-better choice for everyone involved in the ethical sourcing community.”
Though Columbia Gem House is widely respected for their pioneering work in bringing ethically sourced gems to the market, it would be counter to the sustainable jewelry movement if they were awarded the exclusive rights to the term “fair trade gem.” It would significantly restrict the ability of other companies, also doing great work with regard to gem sourcing, to effectively bring their product to market, which will in turn hurt the artisanl miners. Columbia Gem House is not the only supplier of fair trade gems.
