The European Union (EU) regulation on conflict minerals took effect on January 1, 2021, following several years of consultations and preparations. Related but not identical to the United States Dodd-Frank legislation on conflict minerals, the EU regulation applies only to direct importers of minerals, and it is global, not only focused on the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and its immediate neighbors.

Nihma Ibironke Oduniyi is the founder and current Creative Director of Lagos Jewelry School in Lagos, Nigeria. She studied at Central St. Martins College of Arts in London and the London Jewelry School and went on to launch her own design company, ION Jewelry. She recently helped start the Pan African Jeweller’s Association (PAJA).

I.D.E.A.

The Source Team is excited to spread the news about this (in our opinion, long overdue) diversity training program for the jewelry industry. I.D.E.A. is a collaborative effort, born from a desire to see a more inclusive and actively anti-racist industry. We hope that you will join us in pitching in towards a program that could positively affect our industry not only for this generation, but for generations to come.

This article was originally published by Levin Sources on March 30th, 2021 and we received written permission from Lucie Goulet at Levin Sources to repost both text and images.

Brian Cook is the co-founder of jewelry company Nature’s Geometry, which he runs with his wife Kendra and daughter Quendi, whom are also designers. Brian also owns Pyramid Mine in the state of Bahia, Brazil; a rutilated quartz mine.

Valentine’s Day falls nearly smack dab in the middle of the peak period for diamond jewelry sales, which extends from the December holiday season when about 20% of engagements occur through Mother’s Day, this year on May 9.

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

Most consumers don’t know about the issues in the gold supply chain, but a significant number said they’d pay extra for certified responsibly mined gold products, according to a new survey by MVI Marketing.

Jay Moncada is the co-founder of Perpetuum Jewels, a New York-based wholesaler of diamonds, precious stones, and fine estate jewelry. Perpetuum Jewels is certified by SCS Global Services as a Certified Responsible Source and for 100% Post-Consumer Recycled Gemstones.

At the diamond-cutting center in Windhoek, Namibia, facet-by-facet some of the most disadvantaged citizens of this African country are shaping out a professional career for themselves. The company is the biggest employer of disabled people in the country, which amounts to 100,000 people of its population of just over 2 million.

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.

On 15 November, contractors’ bulldozers converged on the mine on the outskirts of Mutare. They planned to “reclaim” it from the local community, who had been mining there independently with low-tech tools and without the backing of a company (known as artisanal or small-scale mining).

Meet EM member Emily Phillippy: the owner of and designer behind Emily Chelsea Jewelry, a Philadelphia-based jewelry brand committed to social responsibility, environmental conservation and equality.

In mid-2020, 29 BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) U.S.- and U.K.-based jewelry designers penned an open letter to the jewelry industry, inspired by the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement.

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.

The 2006 film Blood Diamond starring Leonardo Di Caprio dramatized how illegal diamond mining operations financed warlords who committed atrocities against civilians in Sierra Leone, bringing the horrors of conflict diamonds to global attention.

Stuart Pool runs gem trading company Nineteen48, named after Sri Lanka’s year of independence, with business partner Gary Seneviratne. He’s also a co-founder of Fair Luxury and a partner of the Moyo Gems collaboration in Tanzania.

In mid-2020, 29 BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) U.S.- and U.K.-based jewelry designers penned an open letter to the jewelry industry, inspired by the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement.

Kyle Abram (KA): How did you get into the jewelry world?

The inaugural interview with a friend of a friend for EM’s Findings is Donna Distefano.

Donna is a goldsmith par excellence, who has owned Donna Distefano Ltd. in New York City for over twenty-five years. Her work is handcrafted in 22 karat gold and draws upon references from art history and music. She has presented papers on Dante Alighieri and The Divine Comedy in both English and Italian. She is, dare we say, a Renaissance woman!

[Full disclosure for the sake of transparency: Donna was my first goldsmithing instructor and is a member of Ethical Metalsmiths.]

Bob Goodman, the third-generation owner of Robert Goodman Jewelers in Zionsville, Ind., hates public speaking, but he isn’t shy about speaking his mind. “For the last eight to 10 years, we’ve had as part of our DNA to talk about politics and religion with our customers,” he says.