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“We need to start from the proposition that gold must be fully traceable and fully transparent. If you do not have those two components, in the context of an ethical claim, it’s just greenwashing.” Greg Valerio
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There are other jewellers for whom ethical sourcing is just as important as getting the design right — such as German-born Ute Decker, one of the first creatives to craft pieces in Fairtrade-certified gold back in 2011. (Fairtrade standards are aligned with those of Fairmined.) The ethical gold initiative represented a sea change in the jewellery industry and, for the first time ever, put the needs of artisanal miners first.
Decker describes today’s industry as being “in a race for green credentials”. Decker styles her precious metal into pared-back sculptural jewels that have an architectural feel. The gold adornments can be traced from an artisanal mining co-operative in the highlands of Peru to her studio bench in London. “I want my pieces to possess beauty and a conscience,” she says.
Read the full FT article: ft.com/content/da01ba36-711a-4122-ad08-a917afae6fb4