Our ethical and sustainable approach
Our Mission
We are passionate about cultivating a more transparent, ethical, sustainable, compassionate, and inclusive gemstone industry.
We believe that responsible sourcing and ethical practices across the gemstone industry are extremely important for the sustainability and accountability required to create economic opportunities and improve the livelihoods of the host communities. However, we recognize the challenges often associated with gemstone mining, such as environmental degradation and social disruptions, especially in developing countries.
Our approach to solving these challenges includes developing a sustainable and ethical small-scale gemstone mining initiative that prioritizes the well-being of local communities, environmental protection, and responsible gemstone extraction that fosters economic development for the local communities while adhering to high ethical and environmental standards.
What we are doing differently to achieve our goal
Community Engagement and Partnership
We constantly engage in open and transparent discussions with local communities to understand their needs and concerns while establishing partnerships with local leaders and organizations to ensure community buy-in and long-term gemstone mining project sustainability. Where possible, we prioritise local companies when sourcing mining equipment and supplies where possible.
We implement a transparent, traceable system to ensure ethical gem sourcing from mine to market while offering a fair market price for gemstones mined by the local communities.
Capacity Building and Training:
We empower local communities with skills in gem cutting, polishing, and basic jewellery making to increase the value of their gemstones. We pride ourselves on the fact that our faceted gemstones are faceted locally by both our internationally trained professional gem cutters and our locally trained gem cutters. This is a key part of our desire to develop the skills of miners and gem cutters in the local community while creating more employment.
We provide comprehensive training programs for local miners in safe and responsible mining practices. This includes training on equipment operation, health and safety protocols, and environmental awareness. Employing minimal-impact mining techniques that minimize land disturbance and environmental damage, water conservation strategies, and prioritizing the use of solar renewable energy sources are ways we practically demonstrate our determination to practice sustainable mining.
Community Development:
We constantly monitor and ensure that a portion of our profits are reinvested in community development projects identified through collaboration with local leaders. This may include providing school equipment to promote education, and we are proud to say that the local miners and gem cutters we work with have their children in various forms of educational training, thereby helping us play our part in achieving the global aim of eliminating child labour in the entire gemstone mining industry.
We also support initiatives that promote healthcare access by providing local healthcare facilities and infrastructure upgrades required for the overall well-being of the community.
Monitoring and Evaluation
We know there are still challenges that need to be addressed to get the local mining industry to international standards in all aspects. This is why we have established a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation framework to track our project's impact on the environment, the community, and the overall mining operation. Regular reports are shared with all stakeholders, including local communities and regulatory bodies. We are also open to adapting and improving our approach based on data and feedback. We welcome constructive collaborations that will further help us achieve our goal.
”I appreciate your approach to a sustainable gem industry and how transparent you are to clients. I’ll be a recurring partner.”
Chris Amos (Philo Gems)
”I purchased some awesome gemstones from you guys in large part because of your openness to sourcing. That gives us great confidence to reveal the sapphire's origin to our acquaintances. Many thanks for all of your assistance.”
Evidence Joseph
Here's what our partners and customers say
"Hello, I just opened the royal blue sapphire package, and as soon as I saw them, I laughed. Three things: yield, sizes, and blue. Extremely joyful! Regards.”
Claire Harrison
”Oh my goodness, they're all so stunning! Choosing is really difficult. Hehe! The cushion-cut teal sapphire stone's hue shift is another thing that I find inexplicable! How beautiful! Without a doubt, I'll take the round, solid green stone.”
Mary David