10 questions to ask a jeweler

Marc Choyt, author of FairTradeJewelry. org, recently wrote an article about questions to ask your jeweler to identify the level of sustainability associated with the jewelry. Here is how the article begins…

“Would you knowingly wear a wedding ring or a pair of earrings created by mistreated labor or made with metal that was mined without regard to the environment?.

Though we buy jewelry to mark special occasions or commitments, jewelry, to many independent jewelers, is just a commodity. Please know that if you’re not asking your jeweler the ten questions in this article you may well be supporting practices that are – at best – morally unacceptable.”

10 Questions to Ask a Jeweler:

1. Do you have fair trade products?
2. Who made the jewelry?
3. Where did the metal come from?
4. Where were the gemstones mined?
5. How does the mining at this site impact the environment?
6. Do you know the labor conditions at this specific mine?
7. Can you tell me where the piece was cut?
8. Do you offer fair trade gemstones as an alternative?
9. How sure are you that this diamond is 100% conflict-free?
10. What do you do to support environmental sustainability?

We started C5 because after meeting with dozens of jewelers, we realized that these questions are way beyond the knowledge of traditional jewelry retailers. Shopping at C5 gives you peace of mind that your jewelry reflects the highest level of social and environmental responsibility unparalleled in the jewelry industry. We ask the questions, so that you don’t have to.