What Is Ethical & Sustainable Jewelry? An Industry Deep-Dive

On a macro level, it is the transparent and responsible sourcing practices in the jewelry supply chain and the use of sustainable materials.

On a micro level though, what a sustainable jewelry industry looks like is kind of like sustainable fashion: overwhelmingly complicated and more than a little convoluted. They share lots of elements, like supply chain concerns and overconsumption, but the jewelry supply chain adds yet another complexity in terms of environmental and social welfare—mining.

So, remove those hoop earrings, take off all your rings, and prepare yourselves for an in-depth look at what makes conscious jewelry brands so conscious.

When a diamond is mined, an estimated 250 tons of earth are shifted for every single carat. To put this into perspective, we mine around 148 million carats every single year. The mines are so massive that they can be seen from space.

And that’s just the mining of the diamonds, a stone smaller than your fingernail.

The mining of the precious metals themselves (i.e. gold, silver, and platinum) have their own problems, including:

• Air pollution: Manufacturing pollutants include volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released from the solvents, and fumes containing hazardous air pollutants (HAPs).
• Water waste and pollution: Metal mining requires massive amounts of water, but it also contaminates groundwater and drinking supplies. Toxic chemicals like cyanide, mercury, and sulphuric acid end up running off into local waters and soil.
• Biodiversity loss: Noise and vibration have collapsed local animal life. Biodiversity and vegetation loss are common in mined areas, as is erosion. Mining and mining accidents have resulted in thousands of deaths of local animal and plant species and deterioration of soils.
• Greenhouse gas emissions: It’s been estimated that every mined carat releases around 57kg of carbon into the atmosphere.
• Dangerous materials: From nickel to cadmium to lead to the chemicals in the glue, there are a plethora of harmful materials in jewelry.
• Waste: Jewelry fashion trends are short-lived, which means it often ends up in a landfill where it’ll sit for just shy of forever. We guess that’s what they mean by “diamonds are forever”.

There are more than 100 million people working in the jewelry industry. And the majority of these people are living in the world’s most economically depressed areas.

Large-scale mines are associated with human displacement. Mines come with transportation corridors, meaning huge swaths of land come under the control of the mining company. This typically results in the displacement of hundreds—if not thousands—of local inhabitants.

Even if local residents aren’t forced to move, they’re often exposed to conditions that impact their livelihoods. Local biodiversity diminishes, soils become degraded, water quality is negatively impacted. Simply put, the things that people rely on to survive and thrive are compromised.

And often, the historical significance of these lands are not considered.

Child Labor

There are an estimated one million children working around the world in small-scale mining operations, inhaling dust and dangerous particles. There have been documented cases of hazardous child labor in countries like Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Indonesia, Mali, Nigeria, the Phillippines, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.

Job Site Dangers

Any mining job site presents a risk of death. For example, diamond miners in South Africa have a 20% higher mortality rate than the general population. Hard rock, or underground, miners face the worst mortality rates of all.

Miners are constantly exposed to toxins in underwater mines, forced to breathe in dust that can lead to severe lung problems, and often suffer from unidentified skin diseases. Cyanide is one of the most toxic chemicals. It’s also one of the most commonly used in the jewelry industry. Most of the world’s mercury is used for gold mining and many miners are exposed to the shiny liquid metal, leading to disability and even death.

The dangers don’t end once the metals are mined. While that diamond is shaved into the princess cut, it also produces microscopic dust. Since most gemstone laborers work in facilities that don’t come equipped with safety measures such as proper ventilation or protective gear, inhaling this diamond dust it can lead to long term or even fatal health complications (like Black Lung—diamonds are carbon, just like coal, after all).

Conflict Mining

Diamond and precious metal mining and trade have been associated with several violent armed groups around the world. Gold and silver trading has even funded armed groups associated with massacres and systemic sexual violence.

These conflicts come from both individual groups and government forces that abuse their power. For example, the Angolese government soldiers tortured and murdered civilians in an attempt to control diamond mines.

While a recent study showed that more than 80% of consumers wanted conflict free jewelry and were willing to pay more for it, most brands still fail to ensure that their products are truly conflict-free because jewelry suplpy chains are so complex and difficult to trace.

Lack of Tracabiility

Transparency is extremely difficult to achieve in the jewelry industry. Raw materials are often mined in one country, processed in another country, then turned into jewelry in yet another country. A supply chain for jewelry will typically look something like this:

1. Exploration
2. Mining
3. Sorting
4. Cutting
5. Polishing
6. Jewelry creation
7. Inspecting and certifying
8. Selling the final product

From ‘mine to market,’ there’s a ton of processes from a social or environmental standpoint that can go wrong, at corruption at each stage along the way. For many brands and consumers, there’s simply no way to find out what country the raw materials were mined—let alone the specific mine and specific working conditions.

Most jewelry producers, try as they might, can’t afford or even possibly achieve the level of activism and transparency of sourcing that we ultimately need. That’s why you need to be clear on what they mean by ‘ethical’ or ‘sustainable.’ No brand is perfect but some are definitely on the right track.

Don’t “put a eco friendly wedding ring on it” until you have considered the following:

• Where were the gems purchased? Were workers educated in the field? Were safety measures in place?
• How much of the “mine to market” journey are brands aware of? Do they know the areas of the world involved? The people involved?
• What social impact does the brand have? Are they brands that give back through charitable practices?
• Where are the materials from? Did they use recycled gold or other recycled metals? Were they ethically-sourced?
• What finishes were used? Does the final product contain any harmful toxins?
• How does the brand compare with others? Do they know areas in which they need to improve? What plans do they have in place to make necessary changes?
• Does the brand offer repairs? Do they use materials that last a long time?
• Is the brand involved in carbon offsetting? Or are their practices certified carbon neutral?
• What packaging is used by the brand? Is it compostable or recyclable?
• What ‘vibe’ do you get from the brand? Does it seem like they’re actually committed to sustainable and ethical jewelry—or are they just trying to tap a new market?

Beyond that, pay especially close attention to the following impact areas.

Unfortunately, there are no set standards of jewelry sustainability and it is loosely used by manufacturers and retailers, but there are a few tell-tale markers of materials that deliver all the shine with a little extra sustainability.

Recycled Jewelry Materials

Precious metals can be recycled. Silver and gold can be easily melted and reformed into a new piece of jewelry. Unlike something like recycled plastic, which downgrades each time it’s recycled, metals don’t lose quality when melted down and reforged.

While it’s more difficult (and generally not as profitable), gemstones can also be recycled. However, for it to be sustainable, this generally can only happen on a small artisanal scale.

Recycled jewelry is better for the environment because it doesn’t require mining. It doesn’t require the use of cyanide solvents to separate it. It isn’t associated with environmental damaging. It also gives a second life to that antique brooch or damaged necklace. It allows us to see precious metals as exactly that: precious. It gives gold and silver the chance to shine again and teaches us that we shouldn’t be so cavalier in our treatment of these materials.

Look for brands that use recycled gold or other recycled metals; or offer a ‘buy-back’ option where jewelry can be upcycled. Reimagining the way we view this is critical if we are to achieve a zero waste economy in the jewelry industry.

Lab-Grown Diamonds

Even with the Kimberley Process (we expand on this below) and a variety of claims, it’s really difficult to ensure that mined diamonds are sourced ethically. It’s like trying to fish that ethical engagement ring out of the sink—a small chance but it’s most likely it’s a goner…

For that reason, lab-grown alternatives have stepped into the limelight. Nearly 70% of millennials report they would buy a lab-grown alternative.

Right off the bat, we know that lab-grown diamonds are produced without the environmental and humanitarian catastrophes. They’re produced using heat and pressure (much like their earth-based counterparts), but instead of an aging planet, these diamonds are created using machines, either a High Pressure High Temperature system or a Chemical Vapor Deposition system.

While technology may sound like the perfect solution, the processes aren’t all squeaky clean. Like with diamonds from Earth, there’s also a lack of transparency here.

Since it requires a lot of energy to power these machines, it has been suggested that the emissions from growing diamonds in a lab are significantly higher than those from mining natural diamonds. There are a few lab-grown diamond companies who have become certified carbon neutral over the years and only use renewable energy to power their operations—something that has actually led to natural diamond companies doing the same.

Ultimately, there’s a lot to consider, but the ethical implications alone have us saying “I do” to lab-grown diamonds.

Ethically-Sourced Gemstones

Ethically-sourced gems are the final option, though it’s worth noting this can be hard to define. At the very least, bands should mention workers rights, such as health and safety, fair pay practices, and a stance against conflict minerals.

It’s important to realize that jewelry doesn’t just have to be an instrument of exploitation. In some areas of the world, jewelry can change lives and elevate people out of poverty. Choosing to support small-scale fair trade jewelry brands can help empower women and indigenous populations.

Different countries have different regulations in place regarding mining and workers rights. The first step towards defining ethical jewelry boils down to traceability and knowing the country of origin. If they disclose what mines they use, all the better.

One key way brands are trying to change this is by using blockchain (the technology behind cryptocurrency). For example, computer giant IBM has developed a blockchain solution that’s used to ensure diamonds aren’t from conflict areas. Called The TrustChain™ Initiative, this consortium can track both diamonds and precious metals—showing transparency “from the mine to the retailer”.

If brands aren’t using blockchain, they should be using some form of certifying body to ensure theiy use ethically sourced metals and stones. A truly conflict-free collection steers clear of any forced/child labor or unsafe work environments. Again, without blockchain, it’s hard for brands to stay completely in the know, but they need to at least be demonstrating measureable effort.

Transparency also goes beyond sourcing and labor practices. You should be able to see reports and targets regarding pollution, traceability, and waste management—as well as where they plan to be after improvements are made.

As they say, not all that glitters is gold, and in the jewelry world, greenwashing is rife. Like with any eco-friendly product, the line between sustainable and sellable jewelry is blurry.

For instance, a brand could be using sustainable materials—from the recycled gold to the compostable jewelry box—but they employ dangerous workplace practices and pay their employees nothing. Yet because of their materials, the might claim to be a conscious brand.

Certifications can not only answer the question, ‘what is ethical jewelry?’ but help us determind which brands are genuine and what ones are faker than those cheap rhinestones. While there aren’t many certifications out there (yet), there are a few to look for:

Fair Trade

The materials, production, and trade are certified by any one of the numerous fair trade certifying bodies, ensuring they meet standards like: the continuous improvement of working conditions, an increase in environmental sustainability of activities, living wages in compensation for the work, and the investment in worker/farmer organizational development.

The Kimberley Process

The Kimberley Process is a U.N. resolution that is currently the most popular international standard for diamonds. It’s a good starting point for regulation, but fails to fully define “conflict diamond,” doesn’t apply to anything but rough diamonds, and has failed at imposing sanctions on non compliant countries.

Some believe it’s nothing more than a “perfect cover story for blood diamonds” and thus should be taken with a hefty dose of skepticism.

Responsible Jewellery Council

The Responsible Jewellery Council is typically considered the leading standard for the world’s sustainable jewelry industry. The 1200+ members view that jewelry should be produced responsibly and sustainably. The code of practice includes issues like labor rights, health and safety, and responsible supply chains.

However, according to Human Rights Watch, this certification has several shortcomings and can’t conclusively provide assurance of adherence to international standards for responsible sourcing.

Institute for Responsible Mining Assurance

The only third-party certification currently available for industrial-scale mine sites. It applies to specific mine sites, not the companies that oversee or source from them and uses a “step model” of improvement to rank these sites.

Fairmined

Fairmined certifies gold from small-scale mining companies that meet standards for responsible practices. Some of these practices include fair pay for miners, improved traceability, reduced use of chemicals, and no link to conflict situations.

The fact of the matter is, no matter how ethically minded we are when we shop, there will always be social, economic, environmental, or political harm embedded in our purchases, jewelry or otherwise—which is why the best jewelry shopping choice we can make is to not shop at all.

Yes, it can look great to buy a necklace that’s a perfect fit with that sustainable dress, but if it’s only worn a handful of times maybe it’s not that necessary. next time you’re eyeing something shiny, ask yourself: Do you really need new bling? Is there something else you can wear? Can you borrow instead of buy?

Or consider shopping for second hand vintage jeweley. Not only will you not be contributing to the story of environmental destruction, but you’ll also be able to find really unique pieces with unhtold stories behind them. Places like Etsy are chock full of gorgeous, bespoke options.

If you end up buying new, choose quality over quantity. For many, buying from sustainable jewelry brands will be something that only happens a few times in our lifetimes. With that in mind, we can save up and splurge on a piece that aligns with your social and environmental values.