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?

“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

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.

Three vibrant and informative conferences reinforced this message: concerns for the industry’s impact on people and planet are now mainstream issues.

In this piece, Saskia reflects on her recent trip to Colombia to meet with Fairmined Gold miners.

EM’s Education team and students were lucky to have a guided visit to precious metals refinery Hoover & Strong in Virginia…

Jewelry retailers and experts share advice on how to pitch your jewelry to stores. Practical DOs and DON’Ts for designers.

Christina sought advice from successful designers on starting or growing your jewelry business. This is a must-read if you’re about to launch or wondering where to start!

Say hello to Lisa Rothwell-Young, Christina’s latest “Friend of a Friend” hailing from Langholm, in the southern part of Scotland. Lisa runs a vegan studio, can trace her supply chains, and fabricates the jewelry of her eponymous brand by hand.

Meet Andrea Jose Castro, a business engineer-turned-jeweler, based in Lima, Peru. Andrea Jose is a metalsmith and an advocate for better gold mining conditions and for environmental integrity. ¡Mucho gusto, Andrea Jose!

Calculate your own carbon impact – as an individual, maker or small business. Here are some sites with carbon calculators and more.

Meet Saskia, a British-Belgian designer and jeweler, based in the hip Dansaert design area of Brussels. You’ve seen her on Zoom ~ learn more about Saskia here!

Are your favorite jewelry books replete with glossy photos, preferably of gorgeous pieces from different artists and eras? Mine are! Jewels by Jar, or Jewelry by Suzanne Belperron, anyone? And yet, perhaps the most informative jewelry books I’ve read in the past few years have focused on mining and extractives.

You’ve just finished polishing a new piece of jewelry or designing the recent collection for your line. Now it’s time to price it. Is this the hardest part? Pricing isn’t easy to talk about; that said, I’ve been asking a few designers to share their pricing formulas with us.

Human rights attorney turned jeweler: a career swivel of 180° yet graciously bringing these two worlds together. Meet Zulaikha, as we continue our intermittent series called “Friend of a Friend” and get to know other people in the jewelry industry and beyond. Full disclosure for the sake of transparency: Zulaikha is a member of Ethical Metalsmiths.

Gold is fascinating! Learn more from these films, books, and sites and please add your suggestions below. Or find me on Instagram and suggest other ways we can all continue learning. Thank you! @christinamallenyc

Experts Esther Perel and Peter Drucker and jewelry leaders Andrea Hill, Eric Braunwart and Jennifer Dawes share insights on facing a tough business decision

Remember conferences and trade shows and the lovely people you met there? The week of meetings and fun that revolve around gemstones is known simply as “Tucson” in the jewelry industry.

As we settle into a new year – and please, oh please, may it be a better one – you may be cleaning your studio, or at least thinking about a neater and safer jewelry space.

Metalsmiths from around the world and across time have worked with materials that we now consider dangerous.