Fighting for fair-trade rubies
3 October 2008
The indigenous Inuit community of Greenland is fighting both government and big business to maintain the right of artisinal mining.
Gem quality rubies remain scare worldwide. Burma has historically provided as much as ninety percent of the world’s rubies, but the US and EU passed laws which make their possession illegal. The jewelry sector is hungry for a new source of for gem quality rubies, which can be more valuable than diamonds. Greenland can be the answer, but only if the stones are mined with regard for fair-trade principles.
The Inuit people have had a right to the land throughout history. It is only in recent years that this has been compromised by True North Gems, a Canadian mining company. Instead of supporting the Greenland economy, the mining of rubies is causing social and environmental problems for people of the country.
For more information on this issue, read the article posted on the Fair Trade Jewelry Blog.
