Green Jewelry News

April 22, 2009
Vol. 2: No. 2

Green Jewelry News

Greetings!

As most of you know, each choice we make has an impact on the planet. That means every day is Earth Day.

Today is the official "Earth Day." Now is the perfect time to take a moment and reflect on your daily habits, both in the studio and at home. Acknowledge the positive changes you have made and recognize that even small steps make a big difference over the long run. Then make a note of what you can still do to lessen the impact your operations and make your jewelry business even more "green."

In this "Earth Day Issue" you will find tips, resources, information and inspiration to help you as you strive to improve.

Thank you for your commitment to doing your part to make the world a better place.

Christine Dhein
Green Jewelry Educator

Tips from our Readers New! Jewelers Share Green Studio Practices

Thank you to those of you who took the time to share the practices you have instituted in your own studios to make your jewelry making more environmentally friendly. Continue to submit your tips. I will include at least one new tip from readers, just like you, in each issue.

This Month's Tip is from WILLYjewelry

Bracelet MNB 200 by WILLYjewelry, Recycled Hi-Tech electronics with sterling and cultured pearls

"Besides recycling electronic surplus as jewelry material, here are some "green" things I do in the studio. They may not be directly linked to the production process, but are ways to reduce resources.
�   I recycle all incoming mail. Any sheets with a blank back side, I place in "recycle paper tray" and reuse for personal printing.
�   My studio is in my garage. Instead of heating the entire leaky, un-insulated space, I use parabolic heaters that heat just me. I have one in my administrative area, and one in my production area.
�   Occasionally, I go through my storage bins and drawers. This way I know (or rediscover) what I still have and may reduce the need to order materials or tools.
�   Instead of driving my car to go out for lunch, I shop for groceries once a week, and have lunch at home. I recently read an article stating that people working from home use as much gas driving to lunch on weekdays as people who drive to work!
This last fact is hard to believe, but is it worth paying attention to!"

-WILLYjewelry
San Jose, CA

Willy's suggestions are small changes and simple habits that each of us can use to make our work and lives more eco-friendy. Thank you Willy for your great suggestions!

Send me your green jewelry tips with a picture of your jewelry, and keep an eye out for them in an upcoming issue!

Responsible Jewellery Council
Promoting Ethical, Social and Environmental Practices in the Jewellery Industry

The Responsible Jewellery Council is an international not-for-profit organisation representing over 80 member companies across the gold and diamond jewellery supply chain.

RJC members are committed to promoting responsible ethical, human rights, social and environmental practices in a transparent and accountable manner throughout the industry from mine to retail. Their commitment aims to reinforce consumer and stakeholder confidence in diamond and gold jewellery products.

RJC enables businesses to self-evaluate their businesses vis a vis the ethical, social and environmental practices identified by RJC, then arrange an independent audit of those practices. Once the audit is complete and certification awarded, businesses can tell their customers that they have been audited against a respected set of standards. More and more consumers are asking for an independent verification that jewellery businesses are doing what they say they do in the areas of ethics and sustainability. The council plans to begin operating its RJC System of certification in the 2nd quarter of 2009.

As the number of members of RJC grows, more companies will also have the option of buying products from RJC members, knowing that those members have been independently audited on their ethical, social and environmental practices. Visit responsiblejewellery.com to learn about certification and how you can get involved.

Successful Students
Set Green Jewelry Goals
Green Jewelry Class at Revere Academy

http://www.revereacademy.com/classes/opensess/green-jewelry/

On March 7, 2009, in just six hours, students at the Revere Academy learned where metals and gemstones come from, about green suppliers and what they can do to promote healthy mining practices. Participants learned the information they need to respond to customers' questions about the sourcing and sustainability of materials. Class demonstrations included gold testing, ingot making, reusing precious metal dust, safe and eco-friendly studio practices, an eco trend report, and more. $50 of each student's tuition was donated to Ethical Metalsmiths.

Using the information they learned in class, each student created an action plan with both long and short-term goals for greening their studio. Before the class was finished, each student knew exactly what they could do the next day, the next month, and even the next three moths to make their studios as eco-friendly as possible.

Short term goals included making the switch to citric pickle and identifying all of the chemicals in the studio, and creating a binder of MSDS binder with information on proper storage, handling and disposal of studio chemicals . Long term goals included creating a system to encourage clients to recycle their gold by offering credit toward the purchase of new jewelry and educating clients about the benefits of using recycled gold.

For those of you who have similar goals for your own jewlery businesses, here are a few resources. Citirc pickle is available for purchase from Otto Frei and other jewelry suppliers. Visit the MSDS web site for free Materials Safety Data Sheets on the chemicals in your studio. The Hoover and Strong website has the information you need about how much to pay your customers for their old gold.

If you have set other Green Jewlery goals for your business, and are not sure how to take the next step, look for the next Green Jewelry class at the Revere Academy, to get the information you need.

Jewelers Doing Good
Sustainable Jewelry Raises Funds for Charity

On March 19th, 2009 Meghan Connolly Haupt of C5 company partnered with the W Hotel in San Francisco to host a Sustainable Fine Jewelry Showcase with a charitable twist. The event featured the work of five sustainable jewelry designers and raised funds for Under the Baobab Tree, a nonprofit organization providing educational and economic opportunities to communities in Africa most impacted by the metal and gem mining industry and promoting sustainability in the jewelry sector.

The hosts placed an ethically sourced (either fair-trade or lab-grown) gem in each of 30 gift boxes. Gems were donated by C5 Company, Zultanite Gems, and Chatham. With a $20 donation to UTBT, guests could pick a gift box and keep the contents. One lucky person picked a box containing a 1-ct. zultanite with a retail value of $600.

This is a great example of jewelers giving back to the community. Jewelers like you can help raise funds for charitable organizations in many different ways, including donating a percentage of profits, organizing fundraisers, and partnering with charitable organizations. Use this example to help you think outside of the box. How can you create something that will raise funds for non-profit organizations, and promote your jewelry business at the same time? Use your creativity to design a win-win experience that everyone can feel good about.

Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter and learn more about the Green Jewelry Movement. Check out this month's events, and send this newsletter to a friend to help spread the word about using recycled and ethically sourced jewelry materials along with eco-friendly studio practices.

Sincerely,

Christine Dhein

Earth Day Issue

Tips from Our Readers

Responsible Jewellery Council

Successful Students Set Green Jewelry Goals

Sustainable Jewelry Raises Funds for Charity

Green Links