It is how I started – observing three generations of indentured slave labour in a Garnet mine in Rajasthan India, that was feeding the Jaipur coloured gemstone sector. It was the horror that fueled my campaign for a Fair Trade jewellery product. I talk about this in more detail in my book Making Trouble.
You will never find a luxury jewellery brand brave enough to talk like this, but for love to blossom, truth must deepen. As a jeweller I am in the business of love and am proud to be so.
Slavery remains a reality in the jewellery supply chain, with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) estimating an excess of a million children in slavery in mining in Africa alone. The excellent work of Free the Slaves so disturbingly demonstrates this fact.
Consumers and jewellers can make all the difference. Fairtrade Gold directly addresses this challenge in its standard and is one of the reason (among many) why I make sure all my gold is Fairtrade in the Valerio Jewellery brand.
Another brilliant post. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and experiences.
Thank you so much for the post…suuuper… Its so true and your words have such a strong power..