Colord Stones and Fair Trade

The issue of Conflict diamonds, diamonds used to finance civil wars and terror, are well understood by most consumers who have begun to demand conflict free certification when buying a diamond.

Less well understood are the fair trade issues facing the colored stones industry, an industry that is largely composed of small companies and individual entrepreneurs.

These issues are at once simple and complex, global and local. They are simple, because as Mark Rapaport, one of the leaders in addressing fair trade issues, flatly asserts, child labor, exploitative labor and environmental practices are "evil." They are global issues, but can only be meaningfully addressed on a local level.

The colored stones industry is made up of a diverse collection of usually small companies and individuals. A single colored stone may be found by a worker in an artisanal mine – a mine where the workers aren’t officially employed by the mining company, but who work on a contract basis. That worker may be a child and he may be working in an unsafe and unhealthy environment. The gem rough found by that worker may be exported to a small cutting and polishing company in another country. The exporter may be legitimate or he may be a smuggler, or in some cases, a terrorist.

Cutting and polishing companies often pay employees between 17 and 33 cents per hour. In India, at least 2,000 people have died from silicosis from what’s called "dry" grinding stones, that is cutting and polishing stones without using water which helps control the deadly dust that causes this entirely preventable disease. That’s because employers charge for water and electricity and it’s quicker to dry grind than to wet grind.

These and other practices have caused the colored stone industry to look for ways to effectively address them.

One proposed remedy is for colored stones companies to agree to Fair Trade protocols. These businesses would agree to conduct themselves in a socially and environmentally responsible way, including entering into producer price guaranteed and investing in local social and environmental projects, among other requirements. The protocols also call for companies to submit themselves for review, audit and certification by a number of different entities.

The trouble with this, though, is that many colored stones companies cannot afford to comply.

A second remedy is that retailers provide transparency in the "chain of custody, that is, that they document responsible social and environmental practices at every step from mine to the showcase. But how reasonable is it to suggest that an individual studio jeweler, for example, for example, commit the time and money to ensure best practices at this level? Should retailers, especially independents, be required to send people across borders and oceans to check up on suppliers? And, given the extreme secrecy that characterizes most of the gem trade, is it even likely that they’ll be given the chance?

Another approach is suggested by Eric Braunwart of Columbia Gems House. His company has voluntarily adopted Quality Assurance and Fair Trade Gems Protocols which provide guidelines for closely tracking every gem from the source. The protocols include environmental protection, fair labor practices, health and safety standards and a tight chain of custody that eliminates the possibility of treated gems or synthetics being introduced into the supply chain.

Despite the success of this voluntary model, industry leaders, including Braunwart, make the point that real change will only come when consumers begin to demand accountability from the colored stones industry in the same way that they demanded change in the diamonds industry.

Fleury Sommers is a goldsmith, pearl and bead stringer and has studied gemology for more than 25 years. She operated a gallery in Houston, Texas for more than ten years and is the creator of the comprehensive Professional Pearl and Bead Stringing course available on her website.