I have been involved in the ethical jewelry world for 4.5 years, and have had a specific focus on promoting artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) sources. In just the past 15 months or so, I have seen a marked increase in awareness of and interest in ASGM among small jewelers. I feel that the moment is ripe to harness this momentum, for the betterment of the producer communities who supply the raw materials necessary for our trade — as well as for the betterment of Mother Earth, who sustains us all. This is about racial justice as much as environmental justice, and ties to the Black Lives Matter movement can be instrumental.

While I am a supporter of both Fairtrade Gold and Fairmined Gold, we must face the reality that these projects have not achieved the large-scale shifts to our supply chain that many of us have hoped for. The reasons for this are complex, but one thing is clear: we must make room for other pathways forward. I recently traveled to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to visit several mine sites soon coming online under the USAID-funded project Zahabu Safi. Working with a model of radical transparency, I believe Zahabu Safi represents a new model for responsible ASGM that this not only commercially-viable, but scalable — with the potential to reach millions.

Reflective Jewelry’s Activism
• Note specifically our 2018 Ethical Jewelry Exposé
Publications:
• Where Black Lives Don’t Matter to Jewelers
• Several pieces published on Ethical Metalsmiths’ blog The Source

Member of:
• BIPOC Jewelry Industry Task Force (signatory of their 2020 open letter)
• Black in Jewelry Coalition
• Ethical Metalsmiths

Info on Zahabu Saf, with which Reflective Jewelry is involved