Have you ever stopped to wonder what sort of impact the jewelry you wear has on the world?
This question first crossed my mind about a month ago when I stumbled upon an environmentally friendly/sustainable jewelry company. At first I didn’t really think about it but then it hit me… I didn’t really understand what made a jewelry company sustainable. I had dedicated so much of my time to the clothing aspect of sustainability, that I never stopped to think about the things we accessorize with!
After several late nights of research, I had filled over 5 pages in google docs, with negative impacts… who knew?! Well I sure didn’t.
Based off of my findings, I learned that mining is definitely the worst step in the process of making jewelry. To break it down, mining for materials ranging from gold, silver, gemstones, and other metals results in water pollution, greenhouse gas emission, and soil erosion. Those 3 effects are crucial when looking at future generations life on earth. In regard to water pollution, when water gets contaminated with these toxic chemicals and metals, we deplete the amount of freshwater left to us. (By the way… less than 1% of the water on earth is freshwater and available to us…). When referring to an increase in greenhouse gas emissions, this ultimately means that more and more heat is being trapped inside our atmosphere, hence leading to climate change. Finally, soil erosion basically makes soil infertile. It will become increasingly harder to grow food as the years continue. I don’t know about you, but I love my fruits and vegetables too much to let that happen…
According to Dr. Doug Guthrie, who is the dean of International Business and Management at George Washington University School of Business, 20 tons of waste are produced for every ounce of gold. Let me say that again… 20 TONS for every OUNCE… I think we already have enough waste we are trying to currently deal with… why make more if we can help it?
Next let’s talk about chemicals. Mining calls for the use of several toxic chemicals including cyanide (a potentially deadly chemical). To give you a reference of just how many chemicals are used here’s a statistic for Dr. Guthrie: “An average large-scale gold mine uses 1,900 tons of cyanide annually. Arsenic and other chemicals are used in mining other materials.” Cyanide’s purpose in this process is to separate gold from ore… but is the risk really worth it…? I think not.
Last but definitely not least on the list of negative impacts has more to do with the ethical side of the jewelry industry. The majority of mining for resources takes place in developing countries, where workers, residents, and the Earth aren’t properly protected. For instance, in Africa children are commonly forced in to labor, especially when it comes to extracting diamonds. Not to mention, the wages there have been as low as $1/day for miners. Because there is such disregard for the workers, the is poor sanitation and living conditions which leads to massive spread of many diseases.
Although these facts and statistics may feel like a slap in the face or may make you feel a little uneasy (because I mean who knew it was that bad…?! not me), the positive is that there are ways we can contribute to making a positive change. First, we can become more conscious of how we treat our jewelry. As I’ve touched on with the clothing aspect, jewelry is no different. It’s so important that we take care of what we already have. Jewelry isn’t meant to be disposable. When looking bad to many decades ago, people were wearing heirlooms and accessories that had been passed down for centuries. Everyone was so adamant about properly caring for what was theirs. Second, we can try and shop from sustainable jewelry companies. Not sure of any…? Stay on the lookout this coming week… 😉 other options include making your own jewelry or buying locally made jewelry. Two organizations you can keep an eye out for when looking at a company are: Ethical Metalsmiths and Fair Jewelry Action. Both advocate for human and environmental rights and hope to inspire responsibly jewelry practices.
Ethical Metalsmiths: Ethical Metalsmiths
Fair Jewelry Action: Fair Jewelry
