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 Post subject: "Green" gem trade organizations and programs.
PostPosted: Sun Sep 20, 2015 5:51 am 
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I had read and forgotten about a couple of “green” organizations that try to promote better gem trade practices in developing nations to keep more of the money from these transactions within the country of origin. These principles were similar to what Brazil has tried to do through the cutting of gemstones and by developing jewelry trades in country. More recent examples would be what Pakistan has tried to do with its jewelry trade and Ethiopia tried to do with its opals. I wish to follow up learning of these attempts successes and failures. Can anyone jog my memory with links to the websites of some of the more successful organizations?


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 Post subject: Re: "Green" gem trade organizations and programs.
PostPosted: Sun Sep 20, 2015 6:36 am 
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I am unaware of what Pakistan has done to this end . Our laws are most prohibitive towards promotion of trade forcing many dealers to go set up shops in Bangkok.


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 Post subject: Re: "Green" gem trade organizations and programs.
PostPosted: Sun Sep 20, 2015 7:44 pm 
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Thank you for correcting me. It was Afghanistan I was thinking of.


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 Post subject: Re: "Green" gem trade organizations and programs.
PostPosted: Wed Sep 23, 2015 11:22 am 
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I hope this finds you well. I think that GeoVision with Gary Bowersox might be a good place to start. www.gem-afghan.com.
Also I believe that Columbia Gem House is a green business. www.columbiagemhouse.com.

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 Post subject: Re: "Green" gem trade organizations and programs.
PostPosted: Thu Sep 24, 2015 8:14 am 
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I hope it is not against the rules if I hold up my hand here.

We have always been 'green' and I have written and done as much as I could, also in fair-trade.

It is a difficult topic because the industry is so fragmented the closer you get to mining.

In the first years we had our own mines in Sri Lanka under tight control but after going 'international' we have resorted to 'buy' 1000 sqm of rainforest for each gem we sell. This program is managed by the World Land Trust. They buy land and protect it.

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 Post subject: Re: "Green" gem trade organizations and programs.
PostPosted: Thu Sep 24, 2015 9:12 am 
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Thanks for holding your hand up. I applaud you. I tagged the companies I did because I thought they might be Afgan specific. Glad to know you are in the fray though.

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 Post subject: Re: "Green" gem trade organizations and programs.
PostPosted: Sun Nov 22, 2020 11:53 am 
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I have studied this topic, 'social justice' or 'just distribution' of gem profits from a long time and from many POV.

IF you are close to mining you may simply be a 'good' gem-miner yourself. That has it's limitations, as described in the 'Boy and the sapphire'.
https://www.wildfishgems.com/audio1 (2nd story)
Fun looking back, BUT you need nerves like steel, (which I do not have 20 years later)

Government programs I know of have achieved little than hindering or even killing the market, driving it underground.

With increasing size and distance from the sources, we scrubbed most local projects and choose two professional NGOs in the hope that they'd do far better than we could.

One is a the https://www.nonhumanrights.org/ (the law has often been the most powerful instrument of justice, remember slavery, women rights and many more). There we donate a fixed amount p.month

The other is a more selfish marketing program where each gem bought from us in turn buys one thousand sqm of rainforest at https://www.worldlandtrust.org/. Since 2006 or so we bought over 150 acres of biologically particular valuable habitat. If you see Australia burning, it's only a drop in the fire, but our drop goes where it is most needed, we dare to trust.

In both cases the customer gets a digital certificate or letter which then reminds people (often months later) to donate again.

Since we were the first in the gemtrade, and today EVERYBODY is socially responsible, or at least says so, I love to brag that we introduced the idea in our market, because, let's not kid ourselves, gems are no vital resource we must sacrifice nature for. We can just do it better.

Oh, how embarrassing! I just saw I did already brag a few comments before.


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 Post subject: Re: "Green" gem trade organizations and programs.
PostPosted: Sun Nov 22, 2020 4:38 pm 
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I always wonder when I see something like this if land is "double sold" so that people think they are getting something but really aren't. Is there a on line list of every set of square meters and who "bought and donated" it? Is there any way to tell (e.g. with google earth or the like) if the land is really untouched?


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 Post subject: Re: "Green" gem trade organizations and programs.
PostPosted: Tue Nov 24, 2020 10:28 am 
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You'd probably have to audit the WLT which is a global multi-year project. I do think that these seriously big NGO's are trustworthy, mistakes and sub-optimization being unavoidable in a global endeavour.

If you study their website (before raising doubt) you'll find a few people who would not risk their public standing for some scam with no imaginable reason.

It's always easy to lean back and criticize, but if you have seen the Amazon or the last reserves in African you get an idea how very difficult it would be to keep these under perfect control

Too difficult, let's better not do anything at all. That'll surely help.

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 Post subject: Re: "Green" gem trade organizations and programs.
PostPosted: Thu Nov 26, 2020 1:13 pm 
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Actually the reason I asked is that I think it would be pretty easy for someone to put a spreadsheet out that did give very good evidence that the tracks of land were, indeed, being reserved. I have never seen anyone do it, which is disturbing. One doesn't have to audit things if everything is above board, after all. It also might be a real use case for blockchain, as well.


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