I wanted to talk about something that affects all of us, as lovers of jewellery. It’s a bit more serious than my usual posts but I think it’s important.

As you already know, The Ukraine was invaded by Russia almost 2 years ago, resulting in terrible and needless loss of life on both sides. And sadly, there is currently no end in site.

What you may not know is how interwoven and interconnected the supply chain in the jewellery industry is. Why this matters is that Russia is an incredibly mineral rich country. It is the world’s largest supplier of diamonds by carat weight and the third largest supplier of mined gold.  More importantly, the Russian government owns 33% of the Russian mining comapny , Alrosa. Thus diamonds from Russia are directly supporting the war. 

I have spent the last year talking with my suppliers to make sure we are all on the same page and that my materials are not coming from Russia.  I have also signed onto the Global Gold Transparency Initiative’s Open Letter to the Jewellery Industry

What does this mean for the consumer, you? It s complicated but there are a few things that you can do.

• The most important is to ask questions. Many jewellers today will try to source responsibly, and will be able to answer your questions.
• Buy jewellery made from recycled metals, especially gold
• If you want diamonds, focus on buying them from fully traceable sources.
  • Canada Mark diamonds are guaranteed from mine to customer.
  • Reclaimed diamonds are an option, they may have originally been sourced from Russia, but were in the supply chain before the war.
  • Opt for lab-created diamonds or diamond aternatives such as Moissanite
• Avoid buying gemstones such as chrome diopside which is almost exclusively mined in Siberia. And charoite which is mined exclusively in the Sakha Republic, Russia

Personally, in all of my designs, I only use recycled silver and gold, or ethically sourced gold (traceable). I’ve stopped buying diamonds as I haven’t been able to verify origins for all of them. Though I do have a small collection of melee (diamonds under .3 carat) and a handful of Salt and Pepper diamonds from South Africa in old stock. I only use gemstones from verifiable sources and countries that are not engaged in conflict. And I always ask questions. It really is our best tool.

If you have any questions for me, please get in touch!

Thanks for reading, have a great month!