my love for small treasures started like most, in childhood. musical jewelry boxes with swirling ballerinas were mesmerizing portals to different worlds. the jumbled adornment within revealed an eclectic mix of romances, motifs, materials, revelatory personal histories, all inviting discovery and reinvention.

we can be vivid, pronounced, more easily seen when we are adorned. jewelry’s power is both reflective and transformative. as a young queer person living with a disability, positioning my worth in a world that would otherwise diminish it felt crucial. When my mother would lay out the few but precious pieces i would inherit, i saw a future in which i owned and appreciated beautiful things. A tahitian pearl necklace with peacock colors would offer leeway for who i might become.

But the power and beauty of jewelry also veil it’s darkness. Irresponsible gold and diamond mining creates enormous harm in it’s wake. The millions of people who physically labor to extract raw materials from the earth are often living in rural poverty and working in dangerous conditions. The impact to the environment devastates ecosystems and discriminates against the most vulnerable.

Some efforts to generate trust with consumers such as the Kimberley Process certification of ‘conflict-free’ diamonds and labeling gold as ‘recycled’ are meaningless indicators of ethical standards. Most lab grown diamonds produce a considerable carbon footprint, and with a future leaning towards effortless mass production and waning value retention, may not be worthy in the luxury resale market or as family heirlooms. The challenges can seem insurmountable, and antithesis to the promise of jewelry as an enduring symbol of commitment and love.

While there are many players who uphold this status-quo, there are also good people and worthy organizations who reject it. As an active member of Ethical Metalsmiths, I volunteer alongside jewelers, suppliers and industry leaders to effect positive change and promote a collective call for transparency and progress.

Within my own business, I work with trusted gemstone suppliers who support on-the-ground solutions that go above and beyond harm mitigation. Small-scale mining offers vital and pivotal livelihoods to miners and workers, lifting their families from poverty and helping to push communities onto a path of sustainable economic growth.