FEATURE THOUGHT LEADERSHIP ETHICS & ENVIRONMENT IN 2017
(CSR) programme Get with the
Did your New Year goals include living more sustainably, reducing your impact on the environment, and living more ethically? Is your goal to think globally and act locally? Perhaps this year you are compiling a corporate social responsibility report for your company. By The Goldsmiths’ Company Assay Office
T
he debate surrounding ethical jewellery is getting louder – as your green-living goals are bedded in, and traction builds regarding ethical
interests, we round up the key recent occurrences in the industry, and look at the current picture and the potential gains over the forthcoming months. In Spring 2016 Fair Luxury, the UK’s first responsible jewellery conference took place at The Goldsmiths’ Centre. It was organised by Flux, an independent group of changemakers in the jewellery industry and sold out. Summer 2016 saw retail giant and high street stalwart Argos launch Fairtrade Gold rings in stores nationwide.
This time last year jeweller and activist Greg Valerio, who formed Cred in 1996 and Valerio Jewellery in 2015, was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s New Years’ Honour list 2016 for his work in Fairtrade Gold. Excitingly, 2016 also saw an expansion in the roster of Fairtrade certified gold mines. Fairtrade mines based in Peru were joined by the first mining co-operative in Africa to become Fairtrade certified - the Syanyonja
Artisan Miners’ Alliance (SAMA) in Uganda. Fairtrade gold was first launched in 2011, and
where demand for it since had been predominantly led by jewellers with wider use amongst high street names, the recent launch of the first Fairtrade Gold ingots in Switzerland, the Fairtrade Foundation’s continued work to encourage consumers to choose Fairtrade Gold, plus the buying power of ethically minded millennials add up to see both larger market share, and a stronger demand for it crystallise this year? Furthermore, will that demand be led by consumers? The Goldsmiths’ Company Assay Office was the first assay office to apply the Fairtrade stamp in 2011. The Fairtrade Mark is a certification mark and a registered trademark of Fairtrade International, so it is licensed on products which meet international Fairtrade standards, and makers have to apply to use it. We now hallmark the work created by around 70%
of makers who are permitted to have the Fairtrade Mark applied. From the London office’s perspective, they have seen the numbers of articles marked increase
‘‘ February 2017 |
jewelleryfocus.co.uk
This time last year jeweller and activist Greg Valerio, who formed Cred in 1996 and Valerio Jewellery in 2015, was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s New Years’ Honour list 2016 for his work in Fairtrade Gold
JEWELLERY FOCUS 59
‘‘
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84
