Donations & Partnerships

A number of the pieces in my collections relate to various humanitarian and environmental causes. A portion of the sales of these pieces goes to organizations focusing on relief and activism to bring about much needed change.  Below are descriptions of these organizations and links to the jewelry collections you can shop to support them.

OSHAJ - Occupational Safety& Health Association of Jharkhand

Silicosis Relief & Human Rights Advocacy in India

India is a dominant cutting and mining center for much of the gem and jewelry industry.  Among other safety and human rights issues, many gem cutters fall victim to Silicosis, a debilitating, but preventable, respiratory disease caused by prolonged exposure to silica dust without proper ventilation, PPE, and safe practices.  Along with advocating for safe and healthy working conditions for Indian miners and gem cutters, OSHAJ does targeted campaigns around awareness, prevention, and treatment of Silicosis as well as relief for those afflicted by it.

Indian protesters holding signs

I made a commitment back in 2014 to no longer purchase gems and beads that I could not verify were cut under healthy, humane conditions.  But as an artist who has made jewelry for nearly two decades, I acquired many materials in my younger years when I was not as well-versed in the human rights issues connected to the majority of the widely available gems and beads on the market. 

Unfortunately, I can't go back and un-purchase any of those materials, but they are doing no one any good collecting dust in storage boxes in my studio, so I've opted to pull some of this old inventory out of hiding to try to put it to good use.  In an effort to mitigate the harm already done by my participation in these unethical supply chains, I will use up the remainder of my old stock of unknown cutting origin to generate funds to donate to the fight against Silicosis.

 

Alliance For Responsible Mining & FAIRMINED Gold Initiative

Support for the sustainable development of artisanal and small-scale mining

I am an authorized dealer of Fairmined Gold.  All of my wedding and engagement bands can be made in Fairmined gold upon request and I offer my clients information and price quotes on Fairmined Gold for all bespoke pieces.  Schedule a consultation today if you would like to design your next piece of jewelry using Fairmined Gold.

 

From the Fairmined website:

Fairmined is an assurance label that certifies gold from empowered responsible artisanal and small-scale mining organizations. It transforms mining into an active force for good, ensuring social development and environmental protection, providing everyone with a source of gold to be proud of.

Thanks to the Fairmined Standard, anyone who buys gold and associated precious metals can support responsibly managed community mines. Our Fairmined model is open to all market players wishing to make a positive impact on responsible mining. It provides gold for businesses selling labeled products with strict traceability requirements and it includes a more flexible business-to-business model for sustainability reporting.

Fairmined is backed by a rigorous 3rd party certification and audit system that ensures that artisanal and small-scale mining organizations meet world leading standards for responsible practices, delivering organizational and social development and environmental protection.

The Fairmined Initiative was created by the Alliance for Responsible Mining (ARM), a non-profit organization globally recognized as a leader and pioneer of responsible artisanal and small-scale mining.