greenliving
invisible. But consumers need not
be clueless about the origins of their
adornments. In 2002, the United Na-
tions adopted the Kimberley Process
Certifi cation Scheme (KPCS) to ensure
that diamonds are humanely mined and
shipped. Confl ict-free diamonds carry a
Kimberley Process certifi cate.
Better
According to the Green Guide,
the UN process has reduced confl ict-
related gems to no more than 1 percent
Bling
of the rough diamond trade, but many
abuses still occur. To avoid a confusing
shopping experience, the safest route is
to turn to retailers and jewelry manu-
Jewelry with
facturers known to offer guilt-free bling.
a Conscience
Satisfying Solutions
Walmart has teamed up with Conserva-
tion International to introduce the Love,
Earth fi ne jewelry line (LoveEarthInfo.
com), said to be completely trace-
able from mine to store. The company
certifi es that all jewelry sold under
that name meets its corporate sustain-
ability standards. According to Pam
by Jim Motavalli
Mortensen, a Walmart vice president,
In the world of jewelry, all that glitters may, indeed be gold—or platinum, dia-
Love, Earth customers “are getting
monds and other precious gems. Beneath their come-hither sparkle, though,
an affordable and beautiful piece of
may be a dark side, whose hidden facets refl ect a disturbing legacy of greed and
jewelry that also helps sustain resources
and strengthen communities.”
violence. This Valentine season, learn to shop wisely for the kinds of bling and ice
The line is sold in Walmart and
that help humanity and the planet shine.
Sam’s Club stores nationwide. Some
critics charge that not all the mines in
The Troubling Problem
the program are fully sustainable, but
The 2006 fi lm, Blood Diamond, brought worldwide attention to one of these hid-
most observers are supportive of the
den facets—diamonds mined under dangerous conditions to fund international
concept. According to Dan Randolph,
confl icts. Some examples:
of the nonprofi t environmental justice
organization Great Basin Resource
• In Sierra Leone, a long civil war that cost the lives of as many as
200,000 people was partially fi nanced by profi ts from the diamond
Watch, “The traceability aspect is
trade.
a good step forward.” By 2010, the
company hopes to have 10 percent of
• In Angola, a guerrilla group responsible for considerable violence
earned $430 million in just one year by selling diamonds illegally
the jewelry it sells meeting Love, Earth
mined and shipped though Zaire to Europe, and then to the rest of
standards.
the world.
Leber Jewelers (LeberJeweler.com)
offers an Earthwise Jewelry Collection,
• Al Qaeda has been linked to the illegal diamond trade.
which includes confl ict-free diamonds,
• The world’s largest diamond mining company, DeBeers, has admitted to
price fi xing in its efforts to control global trade.
fairly traded colored gemstones and
environmentally friendly precious met-
Semiprecious gemstones also may hide troubling histories. Much of the mining als. Leber’s diamonds, sourced from
for lapis lazuli, a gorgeous blue mineral, is controlled by Afghanistan’s Taliban, Canada, are accompanied by a num-
and rubies often come from the military dictatorship in Myanmar (Burma). bered certifi cate of origin, with detailed
Violence against the environment is another dark fact that can dim jewelry’s technical information and an identify-
luster: Gold mining is one of the world’s dirtiest industries. According to World- ing serial number. Mining operations
Watch Institute, the gold in a single 18-karat ring generates as much as 18 tons of meet and sometimes exceed Canada’s
arsenic, cyanide and mercury-laced mining waste. This highly toxic material can environmental laws. (Other confl ict-free
persist for decades and enter the food chain. diamond producers include Russia and
When jewelry is ablaze in a showcase, its shadowy background is usually Australia.) Leber’s gemstones, which
20 Oakland, Macomb, Livingston & St. Clair, MI
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