Today, we are delighted to share the latest episode of IJL Talks, featuring Estelle Levin-Nally's presentation, 'Ethical Choices in Jewellery: What to Consider and Where to Start', at International Jewellery London (IJL) last year.
Estelle's presentation, with Stuart Pool, co-founder of Nineteen48, is a discussion about the issues surrounding the mining and production of gold, diamonds, and colored gemstones, and options available for jewellers who want to obtain materials responsibly. Four key takeaways were the foundation of the presentation, delivered to an audience of jewellers, buyers, and other jewellery industry professionals:
1. The journey towards ethical sourcing is one of continuous improvement - perfection is not possible.
2. Different provenances present different challenges and opportunities.
3. Ethics is subjective.
4. There are different ways to 'be ethical'.
Listen here:
This podcast is timely, as the jewellery industry falls under scrutiny following human rights NGO Human Rights Watch's recently published report, 'The Hidden Cost of Jewelery'. This week, we responded to Human Rights Watch's publication and announced a new blog series, unpacking barriers faced by jewellery industry professionals seeking to develop a responsible gold, diamond, and coloured gemstone supply chains - part one, on transparency, launches very soon.
The IJL presentation was part of 'Fair Luxury at IJL 2017'. Fair Luxury is an independent group of changemakers in the jewellery industry, putting on events that question the ways we approach provenance and sustainability and examine the journey between original source and end consumer. Jane Barnett and Anna Barker of Levin Sources are members of the committee, representing Levin Sources and promoting responsible sourcing practices at events across the UK.
Jane and Anna will be presenting on responsible sourcing in jewellery at The Scottish Goldsmiths Trust and the Precious Metals Workshop in Edinburgh next month as part of 'It's In Our Hands - One Year On, Ethical Making Symposium'. More information here.
