Why Fair Trade Jewellery - CRED’s Founder shares his story

 

by Greg Valerio

In 1999 my friend Christian and I travelled to India on a trip to buy fair trade jewellery. We insisted upon visiting a local garnet mine to better understand the source of our jewellery. It was a horrendous parade of child indentured labour and gender exploitation in a 110f degrees of heat with no clean water. Hell is a real place.

Since then I have campaigned for real change in the jewellery sector. Fair Trade is a simple idea that has the power to revolutionise an industry that has a moral and ethical disconnect between the source of the product and the customer that wears it. It is the idea of putting the small-scale miner at the heart of the jewellery story. Its the idea that the environment and eco-system from which our precious metals and gemstones emerge is not there to be abused but cherished. It is the idea of connecting the source with the high street and putting more value into the hands of the small-scale miner and guaranteeing a better deal for them.

 It is my desire and the to make it culturally unacceptable to buy a piece of jewellery that is not socially and environmentally certified as responsible. Since starting out on this journey in 1996 I have seen huge changes in an industry that is notorious for being conservative and secretive. We are dedicated to calling for change and to recording the movement as it happens.

The EcoChic team support CRED every step of the way and work together for the same aims, it is a pleasure and a privaledge.

CRED  is an exceptional story with a luxury jewellery collection that is both pure and beautiful to it’s core. View the CRED Collection in EcoChic Boutique HERE

Image courtesy of CRED Jewellery, with special thanks.

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One Response to “Why Fair Trade Jewellery - CRED’s Founder shares his story”

1. Lesley Chow says:

   July 5, 2010 at 5:07 pm

   I thoroughly enjoyed reading your article, and now have a better understanding of the issues. Thsnk you