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Ethical Shoppers Want Jewelers to Support Ethical Jewelry NOW

Tags: fair trade jewelry , ethical jewelry , corporate responsibility , green jewelry , wedding rings , busines

We now have the opportunity to pro actively address the shadow, or toxic side of the jewelry industry in a truthful way. The emotional trigger issues, such as mining, blood diamonds and a host of other concerns actually make our industry a very easy target.

As jewelry designers and manufacturers, we can embrace this opportunity or we can continue to live in denial. If we choose the latter, we run the risk of unsympathetic people running full page ads in the New York Times, simplifying the complexities to push their own agendas-similar to what happened with the fur industry in the seventies and eighties. It seems that the industry has gotten away with its complicity in the death of 3.7 million Africans in the blood diamond genocide. But just imagine, for example, what would happen if Al Qaeda was caught using diamonds to finance operations that killed just one American. It would tarnish the whole industry.

Of course, we all know that blood diamonds are a red herring, a symptom of a much greater issue which is industry wide: ethical sourcing based on fair labor and environmentally responsible practice. These issues, and the real havoc involved in the destruction of communities involved the unethical trade, have taken a back seat to the drive for profit.

For those of us in the jewelry industry, the moral questions require truthful soul searching. Would you or your customer feel good about a wedding ring if it was created by maltreated labor or materials that trashed the environment? Is ignoring this question morally acceptable? Does our expression of love (and that is often what jewelry is about for us and the customer) just extend to our intimate ones; or beyond them to the greater human family? Or is your jewelry business, what you really pay attention to, just about love of the bottom line? If that is the case, what will that leave when you die? It takes real courage to even consider these issues, but there is a greater danger for those who ignore them.

As a nation, some of our most eminent perils are rooted in a culture that encourages the perspective that we can buy, fight or manipulate our way into safety. Yet there is another more effective approach. My company designs and manufactures contemporary versions of ancient European, tribal knot work motifs that symbolize the interconnectedness between individuals and communities. The matrix of every business, its source of wealth, comes from communities. Communities that are strong are based on circles of fair exchange, not pyramids where all the benefit goes to a select few at the top.

Instead of always trying to be on top, what if, within the context of sound economics, we directed some of our attention to weaving a tapestry of truly mutually beneficial relationships between us and those communities who we do business with, all the way down our supply chain?

The Fair Trade initiative in our industry is an opportunity to make the world a better, safer place, but there are several challenges ahead. It is a matter of integrating personal ethic and values into ones business practice and becoming part of what I call the

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<h1>Ethical Shoppers Want Jewelers to Support Ethical Jewelry NOW</h1><br />by Circlemanifesto<br /><p>We now have the opportunity to pro actively address the shadow, or toxic side of the jewelry industry in a truthful way. The emotional trigger issues, such as mining, blood diamonds and a host of other concerns actually make our industry a very easy target. <br /><br /> As jewelry designers and manufacturers, we can embrace this opportunity or we can continue to live in denial. If we choose the latter, we run the risk of unsympathetic people running full page ads in the New York Times, simplifying the complexities to push their own agendas-similar to what happened with the fur industry in the seventies and eighties. It seems that the industry has gotten away with its complicity in the death of 3.7 million Africans in the blood diamond genocide. But just imagine, for example, what would happen if Al Qaeda was caught using diamonds to finance operations that killed just one American. It would tarnish the whole industry. <br /><br /> Of course, we all know that blood diamonds are a red herring, a symptom of a much greater issue which is industry wide: ethical sourcing based on fair labor and environmentally responsible practice. These issues, and the real havoc involved in the destruction of communities involved the unethical trade, have taken a back seat to the drive for profit. <br /><br /> For those of us in the jewelry industry, the moral questions require truthful soul searching. Would you or your customer feel good about a wedding ring if it was created by maltreated labor or materials that trashed the environment? Is ignoring this question morally acceptable? Does our expression of love (and that is often what jewelry is about for us and the customer) just extend to our intimate ones; or beyond them to the greater human family? Or is your jewelry business, what you really pay attention to, just about love of the bottom line? If that is the case, what will that leave when you die? It takes real courage to even consider these issues, but there is a greater danger for those who ignore them. <br /><br /> As a nation, some of our most eminent perils are rooted in a culture that encourages the perspective that we can buy, fight or manipulate our way into safety. Yet there is another more effective approach. My company designs and manufactures contemporary versions of ancient European, tribal knot work motifs that symbolize the interconnectedness between individuals and communities. The matrix of every business, its source of wealth, comes from communities. Communities that are strong are based on circles of fair exchange, not pyramids where all the benefit goes to a select few at the top. <br /><br /> Instead of always trying to be on top, what if, within the context of sound economics, we directed some of our attention to weaving a tapestry of truly mutually beneficial relationships between us and those communities who we do business with, all the way down our supply chain? <br /><br /> The Fair Trade initiative in our industry is an opportunity to make the world a better, safer place, but there are several challenges ahead. It is a matter of integrating personal ethic and values into ones business practice and becoming part of what I call the </p> <br /><h2>About the Author</h2><p>Marc Choyt is President of Reflective Images, <a href="http://www.celticjewelry.com">www.celticjewelry.com</a>, a jewelry company that practices socially responsible business.Marc authors <a href="http://www.fairjewelry.org">www.fairjewelry.org</a> a movement website for consumers and jewelers supporting green and fair trade jewelry. He also originated The Circle Manifesto, <a href=""http://www.circlemanifesto.com">www.circlemanifesto.com</a>, a business model based on indigenous traditions.</p> <br /><h3><a href="http://www.content4reprint.com/other/ethical-shoppers-want-jewelers-to-support-ethical-jewelry-now.htm" title="Ethical Shoppers Want Jewelers to Support Ethical Jewelry NOW">Article Source:</a> <a href="http://www.content4reprint.com" title="Free high quality articles">Content for Reprint</a></h3>