What do beekeeping and fish ponds have to do with diamond mining?

Writer Saskia Shutt shares details of her long-awaited visit to the Diamonds For Peace communities in Liberia.

On January 1, 2025, Ethical Metalsmiths (EM) officially turned the page on a name that has carried us since our founding in 2004 and became Community for Ethical Jewelry. This shift reflects not just who we’ve become, but who we’ve been all along.

Something we rarely talk about to the extent that it is almost taboo is what happens with a break-in, burglary or even a hold-up: How do we deal with the aftermath?

Chloe interviewed Jessica Hudson of The Nomad Jeweler on her latest collection that features ASM Colombian gold and Tahitian Kamoka pearls. Read the full article to learn more about Jessica’s story and why she chose to design with traceable artisanal gold and sustainable pearls.

Our latest Illuminators interview features Jason Clarke, co-founder and CEO of Society Artisanal. Jason and his business partner Eva are the first to mine and export traceable, mercury-free, third-party validated artisanal gold from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). You won’t want to miss this conversation about this new source of responsible artisanal gold!

Our Source Wrapped piece this month marks our 100th article since we launched in 2020! In celebration, we organized all our most popular articles into easy-to-navigate categories.

Chloe caught up with Will Alderfer, founder of W.R. Metalarts, about his valiant efforts to bring Fairmined Silver to the US. Read the full article to learn more about how Fairmined silver is processed, how using Fairmined silver helps support the artisanal miners, and how you can get your hands on Fairmined silver too!

Chloe put her best research skills to use to bring you an article comparing and contrasting Fairmined and Fairtrade gold, and hopefully answer any lingering questions you may have about both certification schemes.

“Start with the end in mind. As a one-person business, it’s easy to get distracted by all the things we ‘have to do’ (as designer, maker, brand/website manager, social media manager, accountant, etc.) —Amanda Li Hope

Chloe shares what to look forward to during this year’s upcoming Chicago Responsible Jewelry Conference. If you’ve never participated (in person or virtually) and are considering it, this article is for you!

Chloe’s latest “Illuminator” is Wendy Woldenberg, owner of WEND Jewelry and EM Executive Committee member. Chloe and Wendy talked about WEND’s “earth-first” approach, community classes, a women- owned renewable energy powered lab grown diamond factory, and more!

At this point, we’ve all heard of influencers using crystals to “set intentions” and spread “love and light”......but what about the actual origins of these materials? Read the full piece to get Celeste’s take on how and why designers should use responsibly sourced crystals in their jewelry!

Get the full recap of the CRAFT Code Living Room session plus bonus questions answered by Andres Ortega from ARM.

Saskia Shutt continues the “Friend of a Friend:” series with UK responsible jeweler Anna Loucah of Anna Loucah Fine Jewellery. Read the full article to learn more about Anna and her design journey.

Saskia Shutt talked with Chie Murakami, founder of Diamonds for Peace, to get the run-down on local beliefs in Liberia and how they affect artisanal diamond mining. Read the full article to understand the work Diamonds for Peace is doing as well as how you can join them in supporting Liberian artisanal miners.

Don’t miss this article featuring Chloe’s first “Illuminator” of 2024: Michelle Nakata-Murray, designer and founder of jewelry collection M.Hisae.

Toby Pomeroy (Executive Director of Mercury Free Mining) and Mickey Brookshire, a Sierra Leone diamond cutter recently returned from a trip to Mayata, Sierra Leone with the GOLDROP mercury-removing device. Read the full article to learn about the miner’s and government official’s reactions to field-testing GOLDROP in Sierra Leone, and how you can support MFM’s efforts!

Happy New Year from all of us at The Source! We present to you: The Source Wrapped 2023 (Responsible Jewelry’s Version).

Chloe Beaumont returned to Manhattan and Brooklyn for her second year of NYC Jewelry Week. Don’t miss this article that highlights some of the events centered around responsible + sustainable jewelry.