Ethical jewelry is currently one of the most discussed topics—both in the local and global markets. There’s no denying that many manufacturing industries have a huge carbon footprint and waste a lot of natural resources. The intelligent thing to do now is to produce goods sustainably. This drive has rolled over to jewelry brands and they’re now employing better and eco-friendly production strategies.
Customers have also played a significant role in the ethical jewelry trend. There’s evidence of this from one survey done by Futerra, wherein 96% of 1,000 respondents (from the US and UK) confirmed that buying ethically, recycling, and donating are among their top priorities.
Another survey also revealed that 88% of customers prefer brands that would inspire them to be more ethical and environmentally friendly. And nowadays, where people have embraced online shopping, consumers have great expectations from every business. They expect brands to be more transparent and minimize the carbon footprint in their production—a trend called ethical consumerism.
With this background information, here’s what to know about the ethical jewelry trend:
- Mined vs. lab-grown diamonds
There are two types of diamonds in the market: those extracted from naturally occurring mineral ores and those created in a laboratory or what’s called lab grown diamonds. The majority of customers, especially millennials, prefer purchasing engagement rings made with lab-grown diamonds. These are eco-friendlier as growing diamonds in a lab doesn’t destroy the environment in any way.
The downside with lab-grown diamonds, however, is that many people in the mining industry, especially miners and laborers, will lose their jobs. On this account, strategies are being crafted to create a balance between the mining of natural diamonds and growing synthetic ones in the lab.
- Embracing sustainable means of production and ethical industry practices
Sustainability doesn’t only focus on the environment, but also on people’s health and general welfare. Ensuring that environmental legislation favors humanity is also a huge part of this.
Jewelry production businesses have understood the importance of sustainable production and are trying to incorporate these principles into their processes. Also, they’re extra careful about their employees’ welfare, since they play a big role in making the production process a success.
The most reputable and successful businesses not only focus on making immense profits but also help in solving the most pressing environmental and social problems. Ethical behavior helps businesses attract loyal customers and enhances their public image and brand perception.
Studies find that approximately 66% of customers would purchase from companies that uphold ethical practices. This includes:
- Following fair trading practices
- Transparency of the methods used in manufacturing
- Ethical supply of goods
- Fair pricing
- Avoiding counterfeit products and upholding the required standards
For jewelry companies, choosing sustainability and ethical practices is also a good way to get ahead of competitors. Since consumers are now more conscious of the brands and products they are patronizing, being an ethical jeweler will give you an edge. Buyers will prefer your brand—knowing they support sustainable production and fair industry practices by doing so. Other jewelry companies would have to follow suit, resulting in what we now refer to as the ethical jewelry trend.
- Easy traceability of the supply chain
Any brand that can trace its whole production process, starting from its source of raw materials, is more likely an ethical business. On the contrary, unethical jewelry companies are hesitant to disclose their supply chain. However, it is difficult to achieve 100% transparency because mining, processing, and the conversion of raw materials to jewelry may take place in different countries.
- Jewelry Mining Problems
More than 80 million people work in the jewelry industry. The irony, however, is that most of these people live in developing countries. Other than that, jewelry mining is associated with the following issues:
- Human displacement: As mining activities expand, locals living around the area are usually displaced. This is because mining companies take possession of huge tracts of land to facilitate their mining operations.
- Environmental effects: Ore mining can pollute nearby water sources and degrade the soil, making the area unsuitable for farming.
- Release of harmful chemicals: One chemical commonly used in the mining and the jewelry industry is cyanide, which is toxic. The other dangerous one is mercury, which is commonly used in mining gold. Exposure to such chemicals is harmful and may lead to death. Some health effects of mercury include impaired sexual function, headache, and non-specific brain malfunction. Miners and locals living near mining areas could suffer from such health issues.
The rise of ethical jewelry industries is borne out of the need to address the issues mentioned above. The good thing, however, is that there’s an increased demand for mercury-free gold and harmless jewelry. Thus, better and more sustainable methods of mining are being incorporated. Through the Minata convention, several countries have agreed to start using mercury-free technology to protect people's health.
- Certification
There are a number of certifications and standards that jewelry makers have to meet to be categorized as ethical. These include:
- Responsible Jewelry Council: Most ethical jewelry brands are members of this organization. It has its own code of practice, which every member company must meet in order to get certified. Their code includes upholding labor rights, transparent supply chains, and occupational health and safety.
- The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme: The main objective of its formation was to minimize the chaos, controversy, and pain surrounding diamond mining.
- Fair Trade: This essentially advocates for fair compensation for workers involved in producing jewelry—from miners to factory workers. FLOCERT, the global certifier for Fair Trade scrutinizes the supply chain of companies to ascertain that they’re following fair labor practices and are using sustainable methods of production.
Failure of a jewelry brand to have such certifications is usually a red flag.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, ethical operations uphold the principles of sustainability and reduce the negative effects of mining on humans and the ecosystem. Thus, it’s certainly the way to go for any company that cares for the environment and treasures human rights and moral principles.
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