NEWS
July 2011
WHERE DOES OUR GOLD COME FROM?
Here at Diana Porter we have always been concerned about investigating the sources of the precious metals and stones we use in our work. Until recent years there has been no traceability of any of the materials used within the jewellery industry. In 2003 the Kimberley Process made it possible to guarantee our diamonds as conflict free. However, the human cost and environmental impact of mining for gold in particular, has become a clear issue for the action in recent years. As a consequence Diana has been researching ways of obtaining gold from mines where conditions of the work force are good and the environmental impact minimal. In 2009 she travelled to South America to research artisanal mines where these issues are being addressed.
STANDARD/NORMAL GOLD
Most gold on the market is mined from different places all over the world; these mines sell to big refinery companies, who sell it on to bullion dealers, who then sell it on to companies such as ours. It is impossible to know which mine or part of the world the gold has come from.
TRACEABLE GOLD
We are now in an area of change; more people are asking to know where the gold has come from and we are starting to see more gold available which can be traced back to where and how it was mined.
The Traceable/ethical gold currently available is from a programme called 'Oro Verde' in Colombia. Their mission ''is based on a bottom up certification scheme that differentiates responsibly mined gold so they can be sold as green and fair metals in specialised market niches; thus improving miners access to global markets.'' They directly contribute to the wellbeing of the communities, for the working families and the local ecosystem and promote transparency in their supply chain.
The price of this traceable gold is approximately 20-25% more expensive than the normal gold we offer; the quantities available are limited.
FAIRTRADE ACCREDITATION
We are currently in the process of being accredited for Fairtrade and Fairmined gold. This will allow us to offer other options of Fairtrade gold from various mines around South America.
As of July 2011 we are able to offer our customers these options:
Another ethical option is for customer's to be able to bring in their own gold to be recycled through us. This is a significant way to be wise to the environment as well as keeping the heritage of a family heirloom. We are able to reuse the gold and make it in to a new piece for the customer, alongside using customer's stones in these designs. Please contact us for more details.
PRECIOUS AND SEMI-PRECIOUS STONES
The diamonds we use are all guaranteed conflict free and Diana has taken a strong stance against using rubies from Burma where there is known conflict. We offer rubies from Thailand and also ethically mined rubies, tanzanites, sapphires and spinel from a responsible, trusted mine Tanzania. Information about this mine can be found here: www.rubyfair.com
We are excited about the changes we are seeing within the industry; there has already been great changes in the diamond industry. We now have access to a limited amount of gold that can be traced back to a responsible source. We are hoping that as the demand grows, the availability of traceable gold will increase and the price will come down. In the future we hope to see all metals and stones used within the industry having this traceability. This is the beginning of a very long process, but we hope that with customer demand, more changes will happen. We feel it's our responsibility to educate our customers about these options so that they can make their own choices when purchasing through us.
If you have any questions about this please don't hesitate to get in touch.
Ethical Gold
WHERE DOES OUR GOLD COME FROM?
Here at Diana Porter we have always been concerned about investigating the sources of the precious metals and stones we use in our work. Until recent years there has been no traceability of any of the materials used within the jewellery industry. In 2003 the Kimberley Process made it possible to guarantee our diamonds as conflict free. However, the human cost and environmental impact of mining for gold in particular, has become a clear issue for the action in recent years. As a consequence Diana has been researching ways of obtaining gold from mines where conditions of the work force are good and the environmental impact minimal. In 2009 she travelled to South America to research artisanal mines where these issues are being addressed.
STANDARD/NORMAL GOLD
Most gold on the market is mined from different places all over the world; these mines sell to big refinery companies, who sell it on to bullion dealers, who then sell it on to companies such as ours. It is impossible to know which mine or part of the world the gold has come from.
TRACEABLE GOLD
We are now in an area of change; more people are asking to know where the gold has come from and we are starting to see more gold available which can be traced back to where and how it was mined.
The Traceable/ethical gold currently available is from a programme called 'Oro Verde' in Colombia. Their mission ''is based on a bottom up certification scheme that differentiates responsibly mined gold so they can be sold as green and fair metals in specialised market niches; thus improving miners access to global markets.'' They directly contribute to the wellbeing of the communities, for the working families and the local ecosystem and promote transparency in their supply chain.
The price of this traceable gold is approximately 20-25% more expensive than the normal gold we offer; the quantities available are limited.
FAIRTRADE ACCREDITATION
We are currently in the process of being accredited for Fairtrade and Fairmined gold. This will allow us to offer other options of Fairtrade gold from various mines around South America.
As of July 2011 we are able to offer our customers these options:
- the standard/normal gold
- gold which can be traced back to its source
- Fairtrade gold - coming soon
Another ethical option is for customer's to be able to bring in their own gold to be recycled through us. This is a significant way to be wise to the environment as well as keeping the heritage of a family heirloom. We are able to reuse the gold and make it in to a new piece for the customer, alongside using customer's stones in these designs. Please contact us for more details.
PRECIOUS AND SEMI-PRECIOUS STONES
The diamonds we use are all guaranteed conflict free and Diana has taken a strong stance against using rubies from Burma where there is known conflict. We offer rubies from Thailand and also ethically mined rubies, tanzanites, sapphires and spinel from a responsible, trusted mine Tanzania. Information about this mine can be found here: www.rubyfair.com
We are excited about the changes we are seeing within the industry; there has already been great changes in the diamond industry. We now have access to a limited amount of gold that can be traced back to a responsible source. We are hoping that as the demand grows, the availability of traceable gold will increase and the price will come down. In the future we hope to see all metals and stones used within the industry having this traceability. This is the beginning of a very long process, but we hope that with customer demand, more changes will happen. We feel it's our responsibility to educate our customers about these options so that they can make their own choices when purchasing through us.
If you have any questions about this please don't hesitate to get in touch.
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