No Easy Answer

We know our suppliers. We carry formal relationships with our suppliers. We speak frequently. We ask questions and demand certifications. We tell our clients where their diamonds come from. And we don't compromise our ethics.

That's all you can do in the jewelry business. You just have to make demands and make them known and behave as transparently as possible. It costs us a little more in the long run, but we sleep a little better at night knowing that the jewels and gems we set into our rings come under conflict-free conditions. We know, fraternize, and applaud other retailers who share our commitments. We recognize that some retailers out there live and die by a bottom line profit margin, and we express thankfulness every day that, as an independent jeweler, we can set and live by our own standards.

Ask your jeweler about their commitments to conflict-free jewelry. Retailers would be happy to show you certification and share their beliefs about conducting cruelty-free buying power.

Check out a few of our partners:

• Rio Tinto
• Kimberley Process
• Columbia Gem House
• Fair Trade Federation
• Polar Bear Diamonds

Fair trade in the jewelry industry is still a fairly new concept. While only a small portion of the market is actively cultivating fair trade interest, officials project increasing importance in this field as businesses are learning more and increasing their awareness about mining and labor conditions. While people flock to a number of gem shows across the country, more people show up to the fair trade events and presentations to discuss ideas and to build partnerships with other retailers.

The truth is, there are businesses out there who are willing to lie and sell fake promises in order to push their products, just like there are those who are upfront and honest. Consumers probably stand to lose if they look at social responsibility as a concept to uphold with a heavy hand. Should we only buy diamonds from Canada or should we categorically dismiss anything out of the Far East? Should we distrust employers working in the Middle East or India?

No and no.

Social responsibility means that you use your purchasing power to do as much good in the world as possible, and you do so by staying informed and asking the right questions. Learn more. Spend wisely. And realize that on the other side of that beautiful ring you buy for your loved one, there's a real story about the gem placed in your setting. Challenge yourself.

After all, there is so much power behind our economic choices. Every dollar is a testament to our values and beliefs.