Better understand the industry with these ethical & sustainable jewelry terms & definitions

For us, showing concern for the environment and acting on that concern is a priority in being environmentally conscious. We use consideration for the environment as a core principle when we select our designers.

Additionally, concern for the environment needs to be part of core business practices—like heating and cooling, plastic and paper use, and water consumption. This commitment also extends to learning about the environmental impacts of jewelry materials and how to engage suppliers or shift materials to better align practices with environmental commitments.

Ethical jewelry has everything to do with the sourcing of materials and primary business practices.

Glossary Project Definition: Guided by principles that facilitate environmental and human well-being and avoid practices that harm.

The terms “ethical jewelry” or “ethically sourced materials” mean that the designers who made the jewelry are making a deliberate choice between one material or another, or one source over another, for explicit social or environmental reasons.

Most of the time, these designers can verify from whom and where they source their materials. When they can’t, which is the case with some gemstones and other materials, they explain why and articulate a plan to make continuous improvement.

Several designers also publicly recognize the need for improvement within the jewelry industry and have a proven record of active engagement to create change, such as active participation in industry initiatives, multi-stakeholder projects, and other up-stream efforts.

Sometimes, at Robert Goodman Jewelers we engage in the direct sourcing of materials like gemstones. When we do this, we prioritize vendors who have made a commitment to give back to source communities in some way and disclose what the give-back policy is.

Other criteria we look for are the disclosure of the mine (if possible), the country of origin, evidence of a committed relationship with the source community, and engagement with non-governmental organizations working in mining communities.

Ethically sourcing the jewelry we carry in our store means considering our customers and providing them with choices in jewelry designs, materials, and price range. Additionally, we support designers with small businesses and local impact.

We carry a selection of jewelry produced with Fairmined-certified gold by licensed designers.

Glossary Project Definition: A label applied to gold that is sourced exclusively from artisanal and small-scale mining organizations that meet the requirements of the Fairmined Standard written by the Alliance for Responsible Mining (ARM). This standard attempts to improve trading conditions and environmental sustainability for producers in developing countries.

We understand that “recycled,” typically understood as a solution to waste, is confusing in a jewelry context. In fine jewelry, the materials, precious metals, and gemstones do not fit the conventional thinking about recycling as a solution to waste.

Instead, it is important to understand that jewelry materials have always been recycled—but they only really represent an alternative to waste if the actual jewelry was previously owned and worn, but no longer wanted, or in the case of dental fillings and e-waste. Generally, manufacturing scrap and already mined precious metals has always been considered a supply when making new jewelry. This means that for jewelry, “recycled” has the most meaning if it can be verified to be from post-consumer sources.

Glossary Project Definition: A term applied to metals and gemstones purchased or used by consumers (post-consumer), or a byproduct of manufacturing or finished goods that were never in circulation (pre-consumer), that are reused in the manufacturing of new products. Bullions containing any non-recycled metal or manufacturing byproduct reintroduced back into the same production line are not recycled.

Glossary Project Definition: The successful stewardship of the environment, culture, and economy.

*Explanatory note: Within these connected domains, interests can be complimentary or in direct competition with each other. The extraction of finite, non-renewable resources used by the jewelry industry is ultimately environmentally unsustainable. However, in communities where livelihoods are dependent on mining, it can be a tool to catalyze economic development.