Miner miracle: Jeweller joins global fight to end barbaric trade in gems from Africa
Goldsmith backs drive to protect underground workers earning $1 a day
It’s a brutal trade brought into sharp focus by the film Blood Diamond starring Hollywood icon Leonardo Dicaprio.
African countries torn asunder in the desperate hunt for illicit gems, dug from the earth by slaves held captive by gang masters who pass the diamonds to middlemen for sale in Europe.
But one Scots jeweller is backing a ground- breaking scheme to bring change. Sally Grant, based in Burntisland, Fife, is pioneering the “socially conscious” use of stones.
Sally is using a garnet mined by female workers who have been educated and supported by Moyo Gemstones – a global collaboration of trade bodies – to create an etched 18ct Fairtrade gold ring.
The ring will be exhibited at the Elements jewellery festival in Edinburgh this week. Sally said: “An estimated 30% of artisan and small-scale miners are women. It’s vital they are supported and given a voice and an equal platform from which to work and trade.
“Sourcing ethical precious metals and gemstones is hugely important as it is the only way to guarantee the products that I am buying have come from a fully traceable and sustainable supply chain.
“I plan to create a collection of pieces inspired by the miners’ stories to give my customers the opportunity to have a deeper connection with the places and the people living and working where the jewellery supply chains begin.”
Sally’ s work will help people like Raheli, one of a number of Tanzanian women mining in the African country’s Umba Valley.
While Tanzania has been spared the conflicts which blight the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo and Sierra Leone, its jewel miners are often disempowered, uneducated, and unfairly compensated for the back- breaking, highly dangerous work they do.
According to the US International Trade Administration, the mining industry in Tanzania is worth £750 million, while one million jewel diggers earn less than a dollar a day.
And as one third of Tanzania’s miners are female and uneducated about the value of their work, the need for the work of Moyo Gemstones, which this week launches a new programme, becomes apparent.
“We’ve often found that miners – the ones doing the hardest work in the gem trade – know the least about gemstones,” explained Cristina Villegas, director of Mines to Markets at Pact, an international aid organisation, and a co- founder of Moyo Gemstones.
“This puts them at an obvious disadvantage when it comes to selling, when the gem’s species, features, cut potential and hues all come into play and when basic gem knowledge is power.”
Mary Michel, director of the Incorporation of Goldsmiths, is aiming to ensure that using ethically sourced stones and metals will soon become the norm in jewellery making.
The consumer protection group is collaborating with the seven colleges and universities in Scotland with jewellery courses at HND level or above to create an ethical making pledge.
The goal is to ensure all of the country’ s new jewellers make informed choices and strive to use ethically sourced precious stones and metals to create their work.
“The idea is that from now on, all graduating jewellery students in Scotland will come out with a solid practical and theoretical knowledge of how to improve their environmental and social impact,” said Mary.