负责任宝石：从矿源到成品-彩色宝石供应链审视与合规采购替代方案 (2025)

From mine to jewel: a critical examinationof the coloured gemstone supply chainfor responsibly sourced alternatives GEMSTONESRESPONSIBLE From mine to jewel: a critical examinationof the coloured gemstone supply chainfor responsibly sourced alternatives ORIGEN – Gold for Future and Medicus Mundi MediterràniaBarcelona, 2024 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons license TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION6 3842444.1The work of the lapidary4.2Human rights and environmental impacts in cutting4.3Gem treatments 2. GEM TRADING CONTEXT10 2.1Supply chain steps2.2Natural gemstones and artificial gemstones2.3Gem pricing111516 5. RESPONSIBLY SOURCED COLOURED GEMSTONES5.1Responsible gemstone mining and sourcing 54565.2Experiences of interest for responsible jewellery 3. COLOURED GEMSTONE MINING3.1Artisanal and small-scale mining for coloured gemstones 18 3.2Human rights and environmental impacts in ASM of gemstones3.3Women in ASM: breaking the cycle of inequality and exclusion3.4Medium and large-scale coloured gemstone mining3.5The right to access land for mining2024263034 666. FINAL THOUGHTS 707. BIBLIOGRAPHY Nearly all jewellery creators incorporate coloured gemstones to some degree. These gem-stones exist in a vast array of varieties, featuring multiple colours, shapes, and symbolic meaningsthat extend beyond their decorative and ornamental purposes. Gems are minerals prized for their exceptional beauty, durability, and rarity. They connect us tothe planet’s uniqueness, serving as a reminder of both its magnificence and delicate balance. Formillennia, humans have revered and traded gems. These precious stones have been intertwinedwith beliefs, myths, and spiritual energies, serving as both healing tools and protective amulets. Sapphire, for instance, has held a significant place in history. The term ‘sapphire’ originatesfrom the Greek wordsappheiros, which itself was borrowed from the Hebrew wordsapires, meaning‘neatness.’ Sapphires have been imbued with various meanings by different civilisations. Buddhistsassociate them with peace, serenity, and happiness, while in the Middle Ages, they symbolised love.Even today, sapphires remain closely tied to loyalty and commitment. But what do we know about the origin of gems and their journey into our hands? As we explainin our latest work,Responsible jewellery. A guide to understanding the impacts of jewellery making, learningabout responsible sourcing alternatives and delving into other sustainable practices in workshops and in companies,the supply chains for most of the raw materials we use are associated with severe environmentaldamage, armed conflict, corruption, child labour, and various human rights violations in numerouscountries across the global south. This dark reality particularly affects precious metals, diamonds, and, as we explore in this paper,coloured gems. These gems traverse a highly opaque and largely unregulated market with numer-ous actors and intermediaries. Approximately ninety percent of gems originate from countries in for diamonds versus coloured gems. Approximately 80% of diamond production originates fromlarge-scale mining enterprises, with only 20% coming from small and medium-scale operations.Conversely, coloured gemstones predominantly emerge from artisanal and small-scale mining(ASM), constituting around 80% of their total production. Africa, Asia, and Latin America, where artisanal mining often serves as a subsistence economicactivity driven by poverty and limited opportunities. Throughout the extraction phase and subse-quent processing, we encounter a series of challenges that professionals and jewellery enthusiastsalike should be mindful of. When we think of a gem, we often expect it to be a shiny, cut mineral. However, a rough stoneas found in nature (such as a pebble or a crystal) can also be classified as a gem. Biogenic materialsare also gems; for example, coral, pearls, ivory, bone, tortoiseshell, horn, mother-of-pearl, amber,copal, and tagua nut. The trade in some of these materials is tightly regulated. The time has come to confront the injustices inherent in the materials we use and take action topromote change. We must support transparent, sustainable, and equitable sourcing practices thatbenefit all stakeholders. Our first step is to make conscious purchasing choices, followed by raisingcritical awareness among our customers and throughout the industry. In the upcoming pages, we will exclusively explore the realm of coloured gemstones, aiming tooffer valuable insights that lead us toward more responsible jewellery practices. This booklet catersto a broad audience, with a special focus on jewellers seeking deeper understanding of how gemextraction and processing activities impact both people and the planet. Additionally, it addressesresponsible sourcing and traceability of gems. From this conviction, we propose responsible jewellery – a new approach rooted in materialorigin and traceability. It enco