Born out of a desire to unite like-minded people when national lockdowns had rendered many of us isolated, Fair Luxury Open Houses began as an informal opportunity for us to connect online with the ethical jewellery community; to learn, find support and exchange ideas on all things relating to ethical jewellery practices. By nurturing a sense of human connection and sharing information, they were a chance for us to encourage one another and focus our individual intentions.
Today, our Open Houses are evolved and well-attended events; interactive opportunities to explore varied topics of ethics and sustainability. Discussions with inspiring and accomplished jewellery industry experts are now a regular feature.
Arriving late to the party? Don’t panic. Recordings of our past Open Houses can be found here, in one place.Comparisons of the Struggles & Standards of Fairmined Gold Mining Practices (November 2023)
For most of us, we use metal mined from around the world, but we will never get to see and experience the process first hand. In this Open House we aim to give you insights into mining from those who have seen it first hand. Desiree and Saskia were both on the Fairmined trips to Peru in 2022 and Colombia in 2023. They will be sharing their experiences on their visits to the various mines and talking about the differences in mining practices.
Saskia Shutt: Belgo-British jeweller. Set up Saskia Shutt Designs in April 1999, in the Oxo Tower in London, and relocated to the design & fashion district in the heart of Brussels in October 2009. Through her passionate conviction that the jewellery industry can become responsible, she became Fairmined certified and also a member of the Ethical Metalsmiths in 2018. Saskia only works to order to the specifications of her clients. She specialises in creating bespoke jewellery in Fairmined gold and remodelling customer's old gold. https://saskiashutt.com/
Desirée Binternagel: As managing director of the gold trading company Fairever, Desirée Binternagel is committed to improving the living conditions of miners and the sustainable development of mining regions. Fairever is certified by Fairtrade and Fairmined as a supplier of fair gold and silver, a member of the German initiative Forum for Responsible Gold and the European Partnership for Responsible Minerals (EPRM), as well as winner of the German Sustainability Award 2024. https://www.fairever.gold/
An Introduction to Ethical Metalsmiths
Do you want to use more responsible practices when making your jewellery? Are you looking for your tribe to help you on the journey? Have you heard of Ethical Metalsmiths? If not, then this Open House is for you!
If you are a designer/maker who wants to create jewellery in a more responsible way, but you are facing challenges that prevent you from achieving your goals then perhaps Ethical Metalsmiths can help. Ethical Metalsmiths is a global community of responsible jewellery makers. Founded in 2004, Ethical Metalsmiths has a mission to inspire responsible jewellery practices through education, connection and action.
We'll be looking at the key activities of the organisation, covering the Ethical Metalsmiths' community, the various educational services they provide and their many other projects and events. We will hear from some of the members of Ethical Metalsmiths, who will explain what the organisation stands for and how it has helped hundreds of jewellery makers in the last two decades. For more information visit www.ethicalmetalsmiths.org
Sustainable Packaging (8th June 2023)
We've dedicated this Fair Luxury Open House to a topic which we know a lot of our community struggle with. You've created your dream ring with certified gold, gone out of the way to only use the best responsibly sourced gemstones, but the box this comes in will be the first sight that your client has. You want their unboxing moment to be as magical as your ring but, not at the cost to people and the planet. During this Open House session we'll be exploring why it is so hard, yet so vital to find the right source for your high end packaging, the host of innovative materials which are new to the market and hear from experienced brands about their journey to the perfect brand packaging. This is a topic chosen by a lot of our Fair Luxury Pledgees.
SPEAKERS:
Alice Rochester, the senior Designer and Ethical Ambassador for Harriet Kelsall Bespoke Jewellery (https://www.hkjewellery.co.uk/)
Karen Johnson from Karen Johnson Design, who is working through her Fair Luxury Pledge (https://karenjohnsondesign.co.uk/)
The session is hosted by Fair Luxury team member, Victoria Waugh from V&V Collective (https://www.vvcollective.com/)
What it Means to Be an LGBTQIA+ Person Within the Jewellery Profession (19th January 2023)
In the historically conservative world of jewellery, we want to examine and shed light on the challenges being faced by and positive contributions made by, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, both as industry professionals and also as our potential customers. In this Open House panel discussion held in January 2023, we explore the challenges; from the lack of representation to the use of language and self-awareness of learned behaviours and biases, as well as the positive affects diversity has in any industry, and the opportunity to discover how we can ensure that our industry is open and inclusive to all. With the help of our panellists we delve into what it means to be an LGBTQIA+ person within our industry and also how we, as jewellery professionals are perceived by LGBTQIA+ people outside of the trade. Our guests also give their thoughts on how we can market to the LGBTQIA+ community to welcome more people in and create lasting change. Many thanks to our guests!
Guest facilitator - Brandee Dallow (she/her) Founder/President, Fine Girl Responsible Business Strategies & Communications Brandee Dallow is an award-winning communications and marketing executive, dynamic brand champion and sustainability advocate skilled at driving robust social impact strategies & campaigns. She recently rejoined Grandview Klein Diamonds (formerly part of the Julius Klein Group), as the company's first Chief Communications and Sustainably Officer. https://www.thefinegirl.com/
Guest speaker - Tracey Carswell (they/them) Founder of Powerful in Pink Tracey is a queer non-binary curator, educator, and artist committed to fostering meaningful connections through community-building. They also co-founded Queer Metalsmiths, a community space honoring, centering, and uplifting 2SLGBTQIA+ jewelers and metalsmiths. They are the founder and former President of the Miami chapter of the Women's Jewellery Association, where they invest in the growth and success of women, femmes, and trans and gender non-conforming leaders in the jewellery and watch industries. https://powerfulin.pink/
Guest speaker - Sam Malandra-Myers (they/them) Sales Specialist, Emily Chelsea Jewelry Sam is often the first person couples meet when they reach out to Emily Chelsea Jewellery, and generally sets the tone for their experience. Before joining the ECJ team in 2021, they graduated with a BFA in photography from the University of the Arts in 2018, and earned a MA in art history from Temple University's Tyler School of Art in 2022. Emily Chelsea Jewelry is an alternative jewellery and custom design shop in Philadelphia, PA, with an outspoken stance on LGBTQ+ rights, ethics, and responsible sourcing. Emily Chelsea Jewellery offers non-gendered jewellery, and believes that anyone can wear any ring. https://www.emilychelsea.com/
Guest speaker - Emma Barnes (she/her) Founder, Wild Fawn jewellery Emma started Wild Fawn after endlessly searching for jewellery she could trust to be truly ethically made and accessible to all. Wild Fawn's all female team makes each piece of jewellery by hand in their London studio and will always be committed to conscious jewellery that puts people before profit. Being in a same sex relationship, Emma takes pride in cultivating an LGBTQ+ allied brand, no matter how you identify, especially when it comes to wedding and engagement rings Emma and her team support all forms of love! https://www.wildfawnjewellery.com/
Facilitator - Stuart Pool (he/him) Ethical Gemstone Specialist, Gemmologist, Social Entrepreneur, co-founder of Nineteen48 and Fair Luxury Stuart is a specialist in responsibly-mined and fully-traceable coloured gemstones, mainly sourced directly from mines in Sri Lanka and Tanzania. He works very closely with local mine owners to provide a "mine-to- market" service and is committed to educating the widest possible audience about the issues within the jewellery sector. https://www.nineteen48.com/
The Circular Economy Model in the Context of the Jewellery Industry (14th July 2023)
A circular economy is a model of production and consumption based upon sharing, leasing, repairing, refurbishing and recycling existing materials and products for as long as possible. In our current state of climate emergency, our need for circular economies is more pressing than ever. But do we really understand what a circular economy would mean for the jewellery industry and our businesses? Could embracing circular economy strategies enable us to eliminate waste completely?
Join Fair Luxury member and Doughnut Economics advocate Arabel Lebrusan in discussion with special guest Danielle Keller Aviram – sustainable jewellery and fashion researcher, consultant, writer and lecturer. They’ll be talking about the circular economy concept, its guidelines, how it compares to other economic models and how it translates in jewellery terms. They’ll also touch upon the pros and cons of recycled metals and gemstones, and circular strategies for SMEs. About the special guest: Danielle Keller Aviram has spent her career working primarily with jewellery-related organizations and businesses, including CIBJO, RJC, Fairmined and Jewelry Industry Summit, developing and implementing their sustainable and circular action plans and strategies. Simultaneously, she’s been busy writing about sustainable jewellery and fashion for blogs and magazines such as JCK and Rapaport. She has delivered a number of lectures and workshops on sustainable jewellery at the London College of Fashion, Kolding University in Denmark and Notre Dame University in Beirut.
Useful links:
Umicore, where some casting houses buy their recycled metals: https://www.umicore.com/
Pomellato's Kintsugi Collection: https://www.pomellato.com/en_intl/la-...
Hoover & Strong's certified recycled metals: https://www.hooverandstrong.com/scs-c...
LBMA's Good Delivery list: https://www.lbma.org.uk/good-delivery...
Provenance Power: The Positive Impact of Traceable Gold (24th March 2022)
With talk in the industry of Russian Gold entering the market to avoid sanctions it is even more important for jewellers to know the source of their gold. A traceable and transparent supply of gold not only ensures the money spent goes to the right source but has a powerful impact to the mining communities. We've heard about Fairtrade Gold and Fairmined Gold in a previous Fair Luxury Open House so now we'd like to open the floor to some other initiatives in the process of bringing artisanal gold to market. We'll hear the huge amount of work that goes into establishing a responsibly sourced supply of gold through to the impact this has directly to the mining area.
Susi Smither, ethical jeweller, gemmologist and Fair Luxury member was our host. Joining us were...
Rachel Brass from Levin Sources - Project Director, USAID's Zahabu Safi (Clean Gold) Project which aims to develop and deliver activities to establish a commercially-viable, responsible and conflict-free supply chain for artisanal and small scale (ASM) gold from eastern DRC.
Duncan Marshall, Operations Manager at Betts Metals - Single Mine Origin Gold from the Hummingbird Resources Yanfolila Gold Mine in Mali. Detailed knowledge of provenance is the key to Single Mine Origin gold. From the moment it is mined, every gram of gold is traced by batch right through to the creation of a finished product. Single Mine Origin gold is segregated all the way along the supply chain, ensuring that the end consumer knows exactly what they are purchasing.
Greg Valerio MBE - Over the last few years Greg has been working closely on the ground with Centre for Resolution Conflict and Peace Direct in Ituri Province in eastern DR Congo. The Peace Gold programme works with ex-militia (male and female) to legalise their work in gold mining, to turn their gold processing mercury free and to establish an export platform for their gold.
RESOURCES
https://globalgoldtransparency.com/
https://www.levinsources.com/what-we-...
https://globalcommunities.us10.list-m...
https://bettsmetalsales.com/single-mi...
Reflecting on 10 years of Certified Artisanal Gold (16th September 2021)
For many years the idea of certified responsibly mined and fairly traded gold was a dream – but one that became a reality in 2011. Now ten years have passed and consumers can choose to buy from over 350 licensed jewellers working with certified Fairtrade or Fairmined Gold. Event by Fair Luxury https://www.fairluxury.co.uk/ Take part in our jeweller's survey https://www.fairluxury.co.uk/featured...
Watch the recording of this exciting panel discussion hosted by our own Arabel Lebrusan in conversation with Morgane Nzelemona, Anna Barker and Christina Miller. Find out more about our speakers below. Our speakers represent a force for good in artisanal mining; follow the links to find out more about them and their work. Morgane Nzelemona is part of the Fairmined initiative powered by the Alliance for Responsible Mining to create more responsible gold supply chains. She works with brands, manufacturers, and refiners to integrate ethical and traceable gold into their supply chain and engages the gold industry with responsible artisanal and small-scale mining organizations. With a background in international affairs and economics, she has worked for various French NGOs to raise awareness in areas such as social inequalities, financial inclusion and social entrepreneurship. https://www.linkedin.com/in/morgane-n...
https://www.responsiblemines.org/
Christina Miller is founder and consultant at Christina T. Miller Consulting, providing education, guidance and strategy for small and medium-sized jewellery companies and connecting civil society organizations and jewellers to implement customised, responsible, and sustainable business practices. She co-founded Ethical Metalsmiths, launching the Radical Jewelry Jewelry Makeover and organised the first multi-jeweller Fairmined gold purchase. In 2018 Christina was awarded the WJA Carelle Grant for her work helping jewellers make a difference. With the grant, she launched Better Without Mercury/Mejor Sin Mercurio. Website: https://christinatmiller.com/ Living Room Sessions: https://www.christinatmiller.com/livi... IG: https://www.instagram.com/christinatm...
Anna Barker is the Head of Commercial Partnerships at the Fairtrade Foundation, where she is responsible for the team working with major retail and consumer goods partners to deliver responsible sourcing solutions in business supply chains across a range of commodities. Prior to joining Fairtrade, Anna worked for Levin Sources, a consultancy dedicated to the responsible sourcing of minerals. https://fairgold.org/ https://www.fairtrade.org.uk/farmers-... https://www.fairtrade.org.uk/for-busi...
Origin Music credit: Ben Sounds
Coloured Gemstones: Pioneering Responsible Mining (17th June 2021)
Stuart Pool hosts an inspiring discussion on responsible mining of coloured gemstones. We were joined by two pioneering gemstone companies, exploring their different business models and how they each consider themselves to be ethical, responsible and sustainable. The discussion was hosted by Stuart Pool. Stuart is a specialist in responsibly mined and fully traceable coloured gemstones, mainly sourced directly from mines in Sri Lanka and Tanzania. He runs gem trading companies Nineteen48, Rubyfair and Crown Gems, as well as being one of the co-founders of Fair Luxury and a key member of Moyo Gemstones. https://www.nineteen48.com/ https://moyogems.com/
Our speakers were:
Hayley Henning (Chief Commercial Officer of Greenland Ruby) Unearthed at a pristine location in the south-west of Greenland, Greenland Ruby gems are believed to be the oldest on earth. The company officially began mining in May 2017 and has since been preparing to enter the market with this new source of rubies and pink sapphires. Each gem is mined under the strictest Northern European standards and is fastidiously tracked from the mine. https://www.greenlandruby.gl/
Pia Tonna (Chief Marketing Officer at Fuli Gemstones) Fuli Gemstones is developing the largest known peridot deposit in the world. Embracing a core 'mine-to-market' business model and a progressive business philosophy, it's committed to becoming a world-class mining group. Fuli Gemstones is resolute in its offering of a consistent supply of superior gemstones with full traceability, adhering to the strictest safety standards for its mining production, and supported by active global marketing and brand awareness initiatives. https://www.fuligemstones.com/en
Music credit: Ben Sounds Photo credits: Alexander Kuhn & Vincent Pardieu