How do you deal with traceability?
I supply sapphires from all around the world, however in most abroad international locations, origin just isn’t that dependable – generally markets in Sri Lanka could have Sri Lankan and Madagascar tough sapphires all combined collectively. Individuals are so invested on this thought of origin, however the reality is, until you pull it out of the bottom your self, you may by no means be 100% positive. Stones get combined up alongside the way in which, and lots of stones are indistinguishable from one another. Even labs that say they will distinguish – you may take the identical stone to 3 completely different labs and get three completely different origins.
Having stated that, I’ve a number of suppliers that personal their very own mines and lapidaries – they dig the tough out of the bottom, they lower it, and I purchase it instantly from them. That is probably the most traceable choice from these areas.
Different stones I purchase from sellers who supply domestically from identified mines after which I purchase from them and have the stones lower. Now we have an awesome degree of belief with our suppliers and we hope we’re getting what they are saying they’re giving us. Lengthy-standing relationships are a means to make sure that, however once more, there isn’t any assure.
While you’re sourcing abroad, there’s an moral duty to talk to that uncertainty – to say “to one of the best of my information, that is the place it comes from”, reasonably than stating definites that you could’t assure. For me, ethics can also be about treating my suppliers nicely, asking questions, being truthful and clear, and by no means making guarantees or claims that I am unable to confirm.
What does moral sourcing appear like in Sri Lanka & Madagascar?
A part of the dialog that individuals do not wish to speak about – these are households and actual folks mining these stones and so they’re counting on that revenue to outlive. Moral sourcing to me is about supporting the native economic system and making certain (to one of the best of your information) that no people are being harmed within the mining of sapphires.
General, sapphires should not high-conflict stones – they’re mined domestically and so they help the native economic system of these supply areas. I attempt to hold the wealth in Sri Lanka by shopping for the stones and having them lower there. Doing as a lot processing throughout the supply international locations helps to take care of probably the most worth inside that supply nation.
I’ve long-standing relationships with my suppliers and it is essential to me to help these small, native distributors. Particularly for a few of my abroad distributors, mining is their livelihood so I attempt to hold a constant move of enterprise going their means.
Supply hyperlink
