Exquisite Jewelers Miami
What is Ethical Jewelry?
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Ethical jewelry, also sometimes referred to as, "Responsible jewelry," is a
terminology used for a growing trend of people wanting their jewelry--the stones in particular--to be sourced in a manner that is both morally ethical and friendly to the environment. Much in the same way that with popular foods there has been an interest in making sure they are, "Fair-trade," or, "Ethically sourced," those ideas can be applied to jewelry as well. Historically people are familiar with how precious stones could come out of war-zones where the people digging for the minerals were horrifically mistreated--"Blood diamonds," and as long as the stones were not from these conflict areas it was assumed everything was a-okay. Ethical jewelry of course is removed from those situations but takes things a number of steps further.
As with fair-trade food goods when jewelry is considered ethical or responsible it is guaranteed to come from people working for companies paying them a fair and livable wage for their work. As opposed to, "Subsistence," living where the men and women working for the stones are struggling to even afford food and quality housing, those who have worked in manner that contributes to responsible jewelry are doing so for a good income that allows them to not just survive, but thrive. When the people finding your stones are not forced to live at or below the poverty line and instead are well-paid employees that is one major indicator your jewelry is responsible.
Another element of ethical jewelry is that it is sourced in a way that is environmentally sustainable and as opposed to permanently damaging the area where it dug-up. By keeping the health and safety of the land itself in mind an area that was once dug-in for valuable jewels and minerals can then be re-used for other purposes (such as farming) as opposed to if it a location that is simply strip-mined and left utterly barren. As with the idea of, "Fair-trade," foods treating both the employees and the land well, ethical jewelry is derived from the same idea.
When you are wanting to purchase jewelry that you know is ethical it is important to inquire with the jeweler you are buying from as to the sourcing methods and practices. Ask about where the stones and minerals are from, the methodologies used to extract them from the Earth, and express interest in the living conditions and standards of the employees. Should your jeweler engage in selling ethical jewelry they should already be well-prepared to answer all our your queries!
As with fair-trade food goods when jewelry is considered ethical or responsible it is guaranteed to come from people working for companies paying them a fair and livable wage for their work. As opposed to, "Subsistence," living where the men and women working for the stones are struggling to even afford food and quality housing, those who have worked in manner that contributes to responsible jewelry are doing so for a good income that allows them to not just survive, but thrive. When the people finding your stones are not forced to live at or below the poverty line and instead are well-paid employees that is one major indicator your jewelry is responsible.
Another element of ethical jewelry is that it is sourced in a way that is environmentally sustainable and as opposed to permanently damaging the area where it dug-up. By keeping the health and safety of the land itself in mind an area that was once dug-in for valuable jewels and minerals can then be re-used for other purposes (such as farming) as opposed to if it a location that is simply strip-mined and left utterly barren. As with the idea of, "Fair-trade," foods treating both the employees and the land well, ethical jewelry is derived from the same idea.
When you are wanting to purchase jewelry that you know is ethical it is important to inquire with the jeweler you are buying from as to the sourcing methods and practices. Ask about where the stones and minerals are from, the methodologies used to extract them from the Earth, and express interest in the living conditions and standards of the employees. Should your jeweler engage in selling ethical jewelry they should already be well-prepared to answer all our your queries!