Ethical sourcing of coloured gems is still a specialist field. Traditional gem mining and cutting is built around exploitation of children, adults and the environment. With the public's help we can change this and bring about a safer life for gem workers while protecting our environment. Asking the right question is all that is needed.

The coloured gem market is a bit like the wild west of the jewellery industry. Many of the gems we see in jewellery stores come from remote parts of the world, mined far from prying eyes and pass through many hands before they reach the consumer. Miners are payed as little as $0.50 a day as are gem cutters. Traditional trading routes are impossible to trace and the end customer is completely devoid of information about the conditions miners and cutters face and the impact to the environment. Because of this, miners, cutters and the environment suffer. Ever more powerful landowners and even governments push down prices and care little about OH&S or environmental degradation. In the past consumers haven't asked questions because they simply haven't been aware of the issues. No international body has intervened to take charge of the situation and the problems are only getting worse as the human population grows and gems are becoming more rare. Pits are dug deeper and greater risks are taken. The International Colored Gem Association or ICA has discussed proposals for control because they are fully aware of the awful truths but currently seem more interested in pushing celebrity endorsements of colored gems rather than finding real solutions for the human suffering that is played out every day.

In todays technology driven visual world we are able to watch footage of the environmental and social impact of issues like Silicosis killing workers in China and India:

and Tanzania's child slave miners:

These and many other similar issues can be avoided and the money we spend on gems can be channeled to aiding communities rather than harming them, however this takes knowledge and experience. Traceability of gems is the important factor. Unbroken custody chains from the mine to the jewellery store showing ethical mining and faceting practices. Fairly paid workers, high OH&S standards and enforced environmental protection and rehabilitation policies. Until recently these things were not available in the coloured gem market, however due to a number of dedicated individuals and small businesses things are changing. RubyFair are one such small business making a difference in local Tanzanian lives. Providing safe employment while protecting the local environment and producing stunning rubies. However for large scale change we need big players to sign up to ethical gem buying. Tiffany's for example have taken up the challenge and are in a continual state of change, developing new, more ethical, supply chains.

At the end of the day its up to all of us. Whether your a gem buyer/supplier, jeweller or consumer, we all need to ask for ethical gems so we know our purchases are not causing harm to others or our planet. Currently, developed countries import most of the gems they consume. Its our gem importers who have the real power and the local governing bodies who could if they wanted, enforce requirements of their members. The Jewellers Association of Australia is a great example of an industry body that has no influence over their members in this area at all. Their Code of Ethics proclaims their members make every effort to only deal with companies who do not exploit children, provide adequate OH&S and respect the environment, however no proof is ever asked for and no records are kept, (Ian Hadassin JAA CEO has told me this in an email). The code of ethics is under a section called Integrity. Where is the integrity in that? I have called a number of JAA members who import gems into Australia and non could give information about gem origin for all their gems, the first step needed to prove ethical sourcing. This means the current JAA code of ethics is nothing but words on a computer screen, wishes of what they think their organization should stand for but unfortunately doesn't. JAA  members would be importing gems mined or faceted by children all the time and don't seem to care. I say they don't care about child labour, and it sounds harsh but don't think these importers or many of the jewellers in developed countries don't know the issues surrounding coloured gems. They are aware and still choose to buy and sell gems not knowing anything about how or where they have come from. All the time hiding behind misleading and false claims like the JAA's code of ethics.

Coloured gems are things of great beauty and should be enjoyed by humanity, however care must be taken when retrieving them from our precious earth. Next time you think about buying a coloured gem either loose or in a piece of jewellery please ask the question, "is it ethically sourced?". If the seller doesn't respond with an informative answer, walk away. Ethically sourced gems are not the norm, unfortunately they are rare, and generally only sold by specialists but as education about ethical jewellery increases so do ethical jewellers. Today many large cities around the world contain at least one jeweller with the knowledge to provide you with a beautiful ethical gemstone that has led to an improvement in the life of every hand it has touched, rather than grief.