For the first time ever, we have authorized a US based company to trade Fairmined Gold! It is eco-friendly refiner and manufacturer Hoover and Strong that is now offering certified Fairmined gold, and over 20 US jewelers have already signed on as Fairmined licensees to be able to use the Fairmined label as an assurance to consumers that their metals are not only responsibly mined but also support long term development in Fairmined mining communities.
“Since 2004, ARM has tirelessly worked to support artisanal and small-scale miners internationally. The recent arrival of Fairmined gold onto the U.S. market is solid proof that our efforts are making a difference and is an inspirational breakthrough encouraging us to continue supporting ASM miners and their communities by linking them to conscious companies and consumers.” Said Lina Villa, our Executive Director.
It is the pioneer US based organization Ethical Metalsmiths (EM) that has led this group of US jewelers to join the Fairmined initiative through their Ethical Sourcing Consortium. Commenting on their achievement jeweler Martin Taber, chair of EM’s Futuring Committee says: “This is about more than just replacing one material with another. It’s about reestablishing the entire way we think about the things we purchase, and how we purchase them, the impact our business and buying decisions have on the world around us and the meaning imbued at the very core of our most precious talismans and keepsakes.”
EM’s Ethical Sourcing Consortium sources from the Peruvian mining community AURELSA that is located in the village of Relave in the department of Ayacucho, Peru. In the mid-1980s Peru was troubled with economic hardship, internal violence and conflict. As a result, many Peruvian families and individuals were driven from their homes and into the desert of southern Peru desert where they came together seeking refuge and the opportunity to establish a new life. In Relave, some of these citizens eventually settled as informal, artisanal and small-scale miners working the tailings left by previous large-scale international mining operations.
Since the settlement of the first families and the establishment of AURELSA, the miners have come a long way. From the very beginning of their journey to formalize their efforts, Aurelsa has been affiliated with the miners associations AMASUC and SONAMIPE. As active members of these two important organizations, and with the support of Red Social – a key local partner in the Alliance for Responsible Mining since the beginning of the initiative – AURELSA was able to build a network of regional support to bolster their partnership with ARM and achieve Fairmined certification in 2012. The 86 member mining cooperative is led by managing director Rosa Reyes and produces approximately 3 kilos of gold and 4 kilos of silver per month.
Now anyone can have their very own Fairmined jewelry by contacting any of these pioneering US jewelers:
Kara | Daniel Jewelry, Bario-Neal, Sharón Chandally Pedrini, East Forth Street, Erin S. Daily,Jennifer Dewey Jewelry Designs,Devta Doolan, VK Designs, Susan Drews Watkins, Judy Geib Plus Alpha, J.K Haiman Designs, Rx Rox, Edward Lay, Jan Mandel, Chris & Danielle Merzatta, Rosanne Pugliese, Amy Schilling, Taber Studios, Martin Taber Designs, Irene Weinz, Brilliant Earth, Allison Ullmer, McTeigue & McClelland and Toby Pomeroy.
Photo: East Fourth Street
