FEATURE
ANALYSIS
‘‘
that have been widely discredited
by industry experts.
Essentially,
consumers
are
being lied to about the origins
and ethical backstories of their
chosen jewellery, and that’s why
we need to channel millennials’
renowned suspicion and critical
thinking skills towards a default
setting of taking the initiative,
rather than toeing the line.
For
such
an
emotional,
romantic and idealistic charged
purchase, the idea of tracking
‘‘
significant time, price or hardship
would be added by digging that
little bit deeper to find out where
and how the chosen ring began its
journey as well.
It requires an ingrained
consciousness of the situation
at hand. Many prospective
buyers, perhaps understandably,
take information at face value.
However, the unfortunate fact is
that many jewellers who claim
to be ethically motivated are still
facilitating old-school methods
Ethical
jewellery is far
from a hippy,
new-wave
trend. Rather, it
needs to become
an industry
revolution
and common
standard
down unethical activities might
seem like a mood-killer. In fact,
it’s exactly the reason why we
should be more vigilant. After
all, the shopping experience
is one thing, but by ignoring
these facts, your symbol of
affection and happiness may
already be a symbol of poisoned
waters,
threatened
natural
areas, endangered communities,
human rights atrocities, gender
inequality, or worse.
Untainting a romantic industry
Gold mining alone displaces
communities,
contaminates
drinking water, provides unsafe
working conditions for workers,
damages the environment, and,
for one wedding ring alone, can
generate as much as 20 tonnes
of waste.
Far from being a scare tactic
or a removal of romanticism,
from a vantage point in the
heart of the jewellery industry,
it’s entirely the opposite. For
ethical companies operating in
the sector, we are trying to keep
an industry that is so synonymous
with love, romance and emotion
as untainted as possible.
The best protest we can mount
together is to ensure that the
rings we are buying come from an
ethical starting point.
In return, just as your showers
instead of baths save energy, or
your veganism makes you feel
healthier, your ethical jewellery
will be every bit as beautiful and
unique as unethically sourced
pieces.
It’s not a dilution of quality in
the name of hippy uprisings. It’s
an on-point acknowledgement
that diamonds can be the next
frontier for millennials, to ensure
another thing is being done right
in every way.
By Tim Ingle, founder of
Ingle & Rhode
22 JEWELLERY FOCUS
March 2019 | jewelleryfocus.co.uk