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Columbia Gem House

Fairtrade & Responsibly Sourced

Eric Braunwart | Founder

Eric Braunwart, Founder and President of Columbia Gem House (CGH) is forging the path to a world where responsibly sourced gems are the rule, not the exception. With over 45 years of industry experience, Eric wrote the world’s first Fair Trade Gems® Principles & Protocols in 2001, which CGH still operates by today. Committed to creating a positive impact at every touchpoint from mine-to-market, CGH specializes in tracking and tracing its gemstones. Eric and his team openly share detailed information on every gem they sell by assigning various Fair Trade Gems® Levels to each stone. After more than four decades of working in gemstone development and cutting, Eric holds a deep understanding of the process and aims to share that with others. Working with governments, non-profits, and other gem miners and cutters worldwide, Eric works diligently to ensure safe workplaces, fair wages, responsible sourcing, and environmentally responsible gem mining.



Our Vision

Join the movement. Our vision is to create a world where responsibly sourced gems are the rule, not the exception. Whether you buy from us or not, we hope you’ll join the fair trade gem movement and demand safe cutting factories, safe and environmentally responsible mines, fair wages for the people and sustainable support for the communities who mine and cut these natural treasures. 

Together we can make fair trade gems the rule, not the exception.