North American jewellers now have the choice of using fairmined metals.
FairSources—a joint venture between Fair Trade Jewellery Co. (Canada) and S&P Trading (Gold by Gold group-France)—is offering the following products:
• fairmined gold casting grains from Sotrami and Aurelsa, Peru, as well as Cotapata, Bolivia:
• 18-karat gold (yellow, nickel white, nickel-free white with palladium); and
• 14-karat gold (yellow and nickel white).
The silver and palladium used in the alloys are from consumer recycling sources. Fairmined silver will also be available in the near future, along with other popular gold alloys.
In addition to casting grains, FairSources will be offering finished semi-mounts and wedding bands to retail jewellers, as well as white-label contract manufacturing for chains and brand holders.
“This initiative is important because it makes sourcing easier for all jewellers,” said Ryan Taylor, co-founder and chief designer of the Fair Trade Jewellery Co. in Toronto.
“Our goal has always been to expand market access for responsibly sourced minerals. With [Alliance for Responsible Mining’s (ARM’s)] new fairmined standard, we can continue our mission using their expansive framework for licensing. In the end, it’s really about helping these mining communities and making consumers feel confident about their jewellery again.”
According to ARM, the availability of fairmined gold in North America “represents a monumental achievement not only for the fair jewellery movement, but for artisanal and small-scale miners (ASM) globally.”
The sale of fairmined gold in the United States and Canada is designed to help improve the livelihoods of miners in Sotrami, Aurelsa, and Cotapata, where mining is the only stable source of income.
With the support of ARM, its local partners Red Social and Cumbre del Sajama, and its global network, all three communities have achieved fairmined certification.
“For several years, North American jewellers have been working to make fairmined gold available to their markets,” said Lina Villa Cordoba, ARM’s executive director.
“The recent arrival of the gold is a great achievement that offers ASM miners the opportunities they deserve for sustainable livelihoods and ensuring them that their diligent efforts to mine in a socially and environmentally responsible manner will be recognized and rewarded.”
About 15 million artisanal and small-scale miners around the world—including women and children—produce 200 to 300 tonnes of gold each year. This accounts for 90 per cent of the work force in mining gold and 10 per cent of the metal’s global supply. The miners are at the bottom of the pyramid and represent one of the worst forms of child labour, although in many cases, the children are working with their families.
