2019 Conference
The 2019 Conference Schedule
Friday, October 25
Morning Sessions
8:00 - 9:00 AM
Registration Open
Continental Breakfast and Networking
9:00 - 9:15 AM
Susan Wheeler and Andrea Hill
Opening and Welcome
9:15 - 10:00 AM
Dax Lovegrove | Global VP of Sustainability, Swarovski
Keynote Dax Lovegrove will present the sustainability challenges facing businesses and jewelry companies, and share the approach to sustainability at Swarovski.
10:05 - 11:00
Paul Tullis, National Geographic | Brian Cook, Nature's Geometry | Kai Kresek, World Resources Institute | Jen Marraccino, Pure Earth | Moderated by Luis Fernandez, Center for Amazonian Scientific Innovation
Global Mining, Deforestation & Animal Extinction: How and Where Mining Contributes to Forest Loss and a Model on Forest Secure Mining Communities.
11:05 - Noon
Perry Gottesfeld, Occupational Knowledge International
The leading authority in silicosis and tuberculosis across the mining and cutting sectors talks about public health impacts of the jewelry supply chain.
Brown Bag Lunch & Breakout Sessions
Breakout 1 | 12:15 - 1:15
Christina Miller, Christina Miller Consulting | Jen Marraccino, Pure Earth
Better Without Mercury. Why even small companies can both contribute and benefit from custom projects. A case study exploring the environmental clean up of a small gold mine in Colombia, owned by Rolberto Alvarez.
Breakout 2 | 12:15 - 1:15
Sara Yood, JVC | Elizabeth Orlando, US State Department
Do you know your Legal Obligations in the Jewelry Industry? Reporting Suspicious Activity, Know your Refinery, Anti Money Laundering. The US Government wants you to be a partner in having a clean global supply chain.
Afternoon Sessions
1:30 - 2:30 PM
Joanne Lebert, IMPACT | Kesha Frank, FTJ Co.
Just Gold: How conflict free gold, exported from the Democratic Republic of Congo, addresses UN Sustainable Development Goals.
2:40 - 3:55 PM
DOCUMENTARY SCREENING | US PREMIERE
Shadow of Gold: A Global Investigation of the Ultimate Talisman of Wealth, Beauty, and Power.
4:00 - 5:00 PM
Moderated by Christina Miller | ALYSSA NEWMAN, GOOGLE RESPONSIBLE SUPPLY CHAIN PROGRAM MANAGER | MARIANNA SMIRNOVA, RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS ALLIANCE | BETSY ORLANDO, US STATE DEPARTMENT
Risks in the Gold Supply Chain Including Illicit Gold: What and Where are the Issues, How Can We Stop its Flow, and How to Source Responsible Gold. This panel will observe Chatham House Rules
Moyo Gems Launch Celebration Party!
Champagne, Cake, Networking! This evening's cocktail party will be the grand celebration of the launch of Moyo Gems - a Mine-to-Market initiative that had its beginnings in the networking of the CRJC 2017.
Saturday, October 26
Morning Sessions
8:00 - 9:00 AM
Registration Open
Continental Breakfast and Networking
9:00 - 9:15 AM
Andy Lowrie | Sarah Parker
An introduction of the So Fresh + So Clean competition by Ethical Metalsmiths students.
9:15 - 10:10 AM
MERI GERALDINE, GARDENS OF THE SUN | DANA BRONFMAN, DANA BRONFMAN JEWELRY | Deborah Spencer, Trios Studio | Mariele Ivy, Young in the Mountains | MODERATED BY BRANDEE DALLOW, RESPONSIBLE JEWELRY COUNCIL
Jewelry Designer Panel. How Responsibility Became a Passion.
10:15 - 11:00 AM
Enrique Arizmendi, Cortez Pearls
What Makes a Sustainable Pearl Farm? One of the founding partners of Perlas del Mar de Cortez shares their philosophy and core sustainability practices.
11:05 AM - Noon
JAGDISH PATEL, PEOPLE'S TRAINING & RESEARCH CENTER | JO BECKER, HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH
Human Responsibilities in the Jewelry Industry. Jo Becker will discuss human rights responsibilities for jewelry industry, and will have a discussion about gem cutters in Khambhat with Jagdish Patel.
Brown Bag Lunch & Breakout Sessions
Breakout 1 | 12:15 - 1:15
Emily Phillipy, Emily Chelsea Jewelry | Erin Daily, Brooklyn Metalworks | Jay Moncada, Perpetuum Jewels | Jared Holstein, Perpetuum Jewels
Jewelry Glossary Project.
Breakout 2 | 12:15 - 1:15
Carrie George, Everledger | Monica Gichuhi, AWEIK | Salma Kundi, TAWOMA | Rebecca Villalobos, PACT
Workshop to Design an Online Marketplace for Rough Stones.
Afternoon Sessions
1:30 - 2:45 PM
MODERATED BY MONICA STEPHENSON, ANZA GEMS | ERIC BRAUNWART, COLUMBIA GEMHOUSE | CRISTINA VILLEGAS, PACT WORLDWIDE | EUNICE NEGELE, TAWOMA | Monica Gichuci, African Women in Mining Association | ALEXANDER RIASCOS, COODMILLA EXPORTS | Conny Havel, Fairmined
Building Mine to Market Strategies that Work. An essential part of bringing fair trade opportunity to ASMs is creating economic models. This session will focus on mining co-ops, and how single source models are furthering transparency and responsibility in gems and gold.
2:45 - 3:30
Chie Murakami, Diamonds for Peace
Diamonds for Peace. Building a NGO in Liberia where diamonds are mined, cut and processes with humanitarian and environmental considerations
3:45 - 5:00
CHIEF MIGUEL AND CHIEF LUCAS
Why do two chiefs from the Brazilian Amazon want to speak to the jewelry industry? Why do their land rights matter for the preservation of the Amazon forest? Hear what they have to say in this session.
Cocktail Party Hosted by Steve & Melissa Quick | Steve Quick Jeweler
2019 Speakers
Each year, the Chicago Responsible Jewelry Conference brings an exciting panel of speakers that represent mines, countries, and industry sectors from around the world. One of the primary goals of the CRJC is to give all members of the jewelry supply chain a seat at the table. We think you'll agree that the 2019 lineup does just that!
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Alexander Riascos
Coodmilla Ltda
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Alyssa Newman | Google
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Andrea Hill | Hill Management Group
Hill Management Group
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Andy Lowrie
Ethical Metalsmiths Students
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Betsy Orlando | US State Department
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Brandee Dallow | RJC
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Brian Cook | Nature's Geometry
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Carrie George | Everledger
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Chie Murakami
Diamonds for Peace Initiative
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Chief Lucas | Tukano, Amazon
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Chief Miguel | Paiter-Surui, Amazon
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Christina Miller
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Conny Havel
Fairmined
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Cristina Villegas | PACT
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Dana Bronfman
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Dax Lovegrove | Swarovski
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Deborah Spencer
Trios Studio
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Emily Phillippy
Jewelry Glossary Project
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Enrique Arizmendi
Perlas del Mar de Cortez
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Eric Branwaurt
Columbia Gem House
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Eunice Negele | TAWOMA
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Jagdish Patel | PTRC
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Jared Holstein
Perpetuum Jewels
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Jay Moncada
Perpetuum Jewels
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Jen Marraccino
Pure Earth
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Jo Becker | Human Rights Watch
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Joanne Lebert
Executive Director, IMPACT
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John Thurman
Sunjewels Group
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Kai Kresek
Global Forest Watch
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Kesha Frank
FTJ Co
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Luis Fernandez
Center for Amazonian Scientific Innovation
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Marianna Smirnova | Responsible Business Alliance
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Mariele Ivy
Young in the Mountains
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Meri Geraldine | Designer
Gardens of the Sun
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Monica Gichuhe | AWIMA
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Monica Stephenson | ANZA Gems
Moyo Gems
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Paul Tullis
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Perry Gottesfeld
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Rebecca Villalobos
PACT
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Salma Kundi
Tanzanian Women Miners Association
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Sara Yood | JVC
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Sarah Parker
Ethical Metalsmiths Student Programs
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Susan Wheeler | Conference Founder
Documentary Premiere
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Shadow of Gold Film Still
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Shadow of Gold Film Still 37
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Shadow of Gold Film Still 40
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Shadow of Gold Amazon Impact
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Shadow of Gold Sick Miner
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Shadow of Gold Mine Site
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Shadow of Gold Peruvian Miners
United States Premiere
Shadow of Gold
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Synopsis
The Shadow of Gold takes an unflinching look at how the world's favorite heavy metal is extracted from the earth. The film explores both sides of the industry: the big-time mining companies that dig deep and lop off mountaintops to extract gold from low-grade ore, and the small-time miners – an estimated 20 million people in the world's poorest nations – who extract gold by hand, often producing just enough to survive.
The film reveals that glittering gold has a dark shadow. But it doesn't leave it there. We engage with engineers, scientists, and Fair-Trade advocates who work with miners to tackle gold's worst environmental and social problems. In an industrial-scale mine, we see new technology that replaces cyanide-based processing with a biological process that leaves no toxic waste. We watch small-scale miners benefit from technology that replaces mercury with an environmentally friendly process that actually produces more gold. We meet Fair Trade jewelers who have created their own self-managed, transparent supply chain that ensures consumers know exactly where their gold comes from.
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Trailer
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Credits
The Shadow of Gold is written by Allen Booth and Denis Delestrac, and produced by Robert Lang,The Shadow of Gold is written by Allen Booth and Denis Delestrac, and produced by Robert Lang,Kensington Communications (Canada) and Sally Blake, Films à Cinq and CAPA (France), in associationwith TVO, Canal D, Knowledge Network (Canada) and ARTE (France and Germany), SVT (Sweden) andNRK (Norway).