Ethical sourcing and traceability

A core part of our business is traceability and ethical sourcing. Our gemstones are traceable and ethically sourced. We don’t just use those terms because they are trendy, we use them because it is a fact. We are involved in the whole chain of production from the mine to the market. We know many of the miners personally through our dedicated team in our buying outlets in the regions of gem mining and cutting (Africa, Madagascar, Sri Lanka and others). Our main office is in Bangkok, the leading world gemstone hub. We are in constant business contact with gem suppliers and miners, which allows us to have a deep sense of gemstone market changes and future trends.

Ethical sourcing does not have a universal definition among industry experts, however, we view ethical sourcing as sourcing gemstones that are mined in the context where the miners’ well-being and the environment is taken into consideration. We understand that mining regulations and standards vary by country to country.

Therefore, we do not use the yardstick that is obtainable in advanced countries to judge. Nevertheless, one thing we absolutely consider when making our assessment or claims to the sourcing of our gems is that the human and source community’s well-being is fairly treated.

We will NOT use gemstones if there is evidence or reasonable cause to believe that the stone was mined under such conditions:

• Child labor was used in mining the gemstone. By “Child labor” we go by the definition published by the International Labor Organization. Some people that are not familiar with the realities children face in many parts of Africa could interpret a picture of a child in the mine as child labor. In most of these mining communities, kids accompany their parents to the mine after school. It is their own way of getting involved in their parent’s work. We don’t consider this as child labor.
• Miners are paid unfairly or taken advantage of. Buying high-end gemstones is a very competitive process, and with miners having access to smartphones and the internet, the era of buyers taking advantage of miners in buying their gemstones is fast fading away.
• The mining area must be away from the community’s source of drinking water. Most communities that engage in riverbed mining for sapphires do not drink the water, because they recognize the health risks.
• Transactions that directly or indirectly fund conflict or terrorism in any way, shape or form.