Cecile Raley Holiday Buying Guide

My assistant Debbie actually put me on to this blog entry.  She thought it would be a good idea to suggest to my customers what they might get from my shop for the holidays.  But I am such a bad gift buyer – I mostly get useful things for people, not gifts with symbolic value.  So my advice may be terrible, lol.  Still, I am going to give it a try.

1. Birthstones: this is the old standby for all holiday jewelry buyers.  But several of my pendants and rings would lend themselves to combos of say, mother’s birthstone and child, or three children, or even mom and dad only.  I prefer designs with uneven numbers of stones (actually everyone does) so I usually end up suggesting that we repeat one birthstone if there are just two people (i.e. mom is the center, and the child goes left and right).  Certain months have a lot of birthstone variety, like January for instance, because there are so many different types of garnets.  Other months (February, which is amethyst) doesn’t leave a lot of choice.  For those months one can just choose different purples (purple spinel, tanzanite).  For birthstone necklaces, I suggest the hexagon designs which I have for one stone, three, and four stone combos.  For rings, any multi-stone ring is good, not so much the halo rings.

5mm Tanzanite in 14K Rose Gold Hexagon Bezel $249.00

Four Stone Rose Gold Hexagon Bezel Pendant with Tourmaline and Apatite $299.00

3 Stone Hexagon Eternity Pendant in 14 K Rose Gold with Spinel and Color Change Garnet $499.00

2. Proposals, friendship rings, etc: men often use holiday gifts to mark a special occasion with their loved one.  Rings are the most standard purchase for that, and I often have to give advice to male buyers (mostly last minute) on those.  I often recommend halo styles, though I ask them to describe their person with words that I can use to suggest jewelry designs: modern, natural (nature), antique, blingy, simple, colorful, etc.  Thinking of someone you buy for in those terms will help you single out what is best for them.

Platinum Silver Cocktail Ring with Tanzanite and White Zircon $379.00

Iolite and Sapphire Halo Ring in Argentium Silver $289.00

3. For the idiosyncratic person: some people just like their gifts their own way.  I am one such person, which is why for this year, I asked my family to buy me a toaster oven.  That way, there are no surprises.  For recipients like me, keep it simple.  Browse through their favorites and buy what they marked, or an ETSY gift certificate (which will be available in my shop this season) - I always have a sale on the 25^th of December so that people can buy something together when they’re sitting “under the tree” so to speak.  Or pick out a pair of gems for them (remember I have a return period too).  And then play together to develop a design. 

4. Cheap: well, as many of you are noticing, my shop isn’t so cheap anymore.  There is a lot more gold inventory for instance.  The reason I make more things in gold is that I simply cannot compete with the overseas market, where assembly, soldering, setting and polishing cost nearly nothing.  I have all my stuff locally made, I supervise every step, and I love working directly with the people who make my ideas into actualities.  Also, interestingly, more of my buyers now buy gold over silver.  But as I phase out of the items that don’t work for me or for my line, I put more things into clearance.  Some of my silver studs and necklaces also cost less (the filigree studs for instance), and I am still addicted to beads, so I am going to try to stock up that section more for the holidays.

Blue Ceylon Spinel 4mm Stud Earrings $68.00

Beaded Turquoise Necklace with Thai Silver Accents and Free Earrings $79.00

Argentium Silver Bypass Ring With Rhodolite Garnet $89.00

Art Deco Reproduction Filigree Ring in Argentium Silver with Purple Spinel $89.00

6mm Rhodolite Garnet Stud Earrings in Argentium Silver $88.00

Simply Apatite, Peridot, Tanzanite, Prehnite and Tsavorite Necklace with Free Earrings $99.00

5. Personal favorites: last but not least, let’s talk about what I would personally recommend.  I love love love the pendants I created that combine hexagon and kite designs.  They look like they’re right out of a 1920s movie except that they’re in color, and they sit beautifully on the neck.  I also like the two half moon pendants I made, the rings on either side of the top of the stone make them sit more securely than the other channel wrapped items.  In terms of rings and dangly earrings, the Gotham line is my favorite, because I like art deco more than art nouveau and I love the old fashioned yet modern look.  I also enjoy that you can get more ring out of those without having to splurge on the expensive halo designs.  My engraver, Alex, continues to amaze me with what he can do with those pieces.  The Gatsby line is now also fully engraved.  And the petal line (with all the sunflower rings) is getting there.  Oval petal pendants and rings are coming out soon, hopefully in time for the holidays (I know I will have one ring with a 9x7 center and 2mm side stones ready in about 10 days).

I’ll leave you with a photo of my “to date” all time favorite piece that I am (with great regret) willing to put up in my shop – mainly because I already splurged on my own Christmas gift which is still in production but I’ll share when it’s done.  This ring features a 2 carat plus Mahenge spinel, 2009 mining date, trillion cut, in a white gold Gatsby design, diamonds on the side, millgrain.  Still thinking about engraving it too. 

Trillion Flower Gatsby Ring in 14 K White Gold with 2+ Carat Mahenge Spinel and Diamonds $2,799.00

Hexagon and Kite Pendant in 14 K Rose Gold with Mahenge and Burmese Spinel $699.00

Trillion Flower Gatsby Pendant in 14 K Rose Gold with Morganite and Diamond $449.00

Half Moon Garnet Pendant in 14 K Rose Gold Channel Setting and Mint Garnet Kite Dangly $599.00

3 Stone Hexagon Eternity Pendant in 14 K Rose Gold with Spinel and Color Change Garnet $499.00

Gatsby Studs for 5mm Trillion Stones, Argentium Silver with Rhodolite Garnet $119.00

Kite Style Aquamarine Earrings in Sterling Silver $119.00

My Collections: What Stays, What Goes, What’s New

As I continue to build my own website, my brand, and of course, develop my personal style, I am working towards collections based on themes.  Now that the holidays are coming up, let me take you through the collections I have right now and also tell you about the projects that are under way.  Suggestions are welcome!

Hexagon Collection: As you can see from my listings, this collection is well under way.  I like this line because it is protective of the stone without being the need to hammer set the gem.  The setting is beaded, which is less forceful on the stone so I don’t have to worry about it getting cracked.  The hexagon and octagon styles also combine really well to make interesting shapes.

Four Stone Rose Gold Hexagon Bezel Pendant with Tourmaline and Apatite

Tourmaline Pendant in Hexagon Bezel with Kite Accent 14 K Rose gold

Scroll Collection: This is probably my oldest line, and it includes the scroll eternity ring and the scroll earring settings.  I also have a 9x6 scroll setting that is good for larger pendants.  I don’t know that I want to do more with this line though.  Prong settings do not seem to be as much in style for rings and pendants, and in general, other than the earrings, I don’t sell scroll settings very much.  I am keeping it though because the earrings are really popular.

4mm Thai Sapphire Studs Set in Rose Gold Scroll Setting

Eternity Band in 14K Rose Gold with Natural Blue Zircon

Contour Collection: This collection is also a carryover.  It includes all the channel wrapped items, which provide a simple and elegant frame for earrings and pendants.  This collection doesn't include rings, for the obvious reasons.  

Pear Shaped Kyanite Pendant Wrapped in 14K Rose Gold with Diamond Accent

Oval Apatite Pendant in 14 K Rose Gold Channel Setting

Mismatched Rhodolite Garnet Dangly Earrings in 14K Rose Gold

Gotham Collection: I am in love with this one.  To me it looks Art Deco but the color and engravings give it very different feel.  This collection includes my Gotham ring and pendants, and I am about to release a larger Gotham ring that takes an 8x6 emerald cut.  I will again carry both an engraved version and one that takes outer stones.  Under this line, I am also adding the pillow ring and pendant because of their edgy shapes.  But neither has sold that much – the pillow ring has actually only sold once (recently).  So I am not sure I should do more with those.

Cushion Cut Gotham Ring in 14 Rose Gold with Mandarin Garnet

Art Deco Style Ring with Mint Garnet and Mahenge Spinel in White Gold

Argentium Silver Cocktail Ring with Rhodolite Garnet and Peacock Spinel

Petal Collection: My other favorite collection, the petal line includes the sunflower rings and pendants, the new earring jackets, the petal earring and the four and five petal pendants.  The Gatsby pendant and ring go here also because they have petals also.  Most of the petal designs will come in an engraved and a regular version (I love the engravings and they allow me to do a halo style without adding stones).  And I am going to add an oval flower ring soon, as well as a sunflower ring for a 7mm center.

Sapphire Earring Jackets

Apatite & Tanzanite in 14K rose gold

Petal Earring with Mint Garnet & Sapphires

Victorian Inspired Two Flower Open Ring in Rose Gold with Merelani Mint Garnet, Chrysoberyl and Mahenge Spinel

I am phasing out most of the simple bezel set styles, but I will periodically offer them as earrings (and I am keeping the five stone ring).  Many bezel rings were created from purchased settings and those designs are fairly common place.  In my shop they don’t get bought very much – again with exception of my multi stone rings.  I already phased out the melted rings.  The twig collection stays because it sells locally.  And I have some odds and ends (halo rings for instance) that are free floating right now.  They sell sometimes, not often, but they are good additions to my stuff.  So for now they will stay in.

I continue to work on more art deco styles – this has come to be my favorite period, I love the edgy components and it reminds me so much of my home of choice: New York City.  I am working on a larger pendant right now, even though larger pieces are heavy in gold and therefore cost prohibitive.  I have another flower ring style coming out soon, and I did a split shank ring for myself (and one customer) that I may adapt into my collection.  It will be for a pear shape.  I’d also like to make some settings for larger stones as I am starting to sell more of those. 

My main inspirations, in case you are wondering, are old jewelry books, antique shows, and eBay.  Though periodically something comes to me out of nowhere; my Gatsby pendant was one such case.  The sunflower ring, too.  All inspiration, I feel, is in the end a mix of things you have seen before, and to get ideas the main thing to do is look around.  I take photos of stuff I see that I like and then it changes in my head into something that fits my personal taste, so that by the end it is no longer recognizable as that original thing (just consider the original  Victorian petal earrings that I had featured in some of my listings – my entire collection came out of that one piece).  It also takes experience of course, you need to know what works and what doesn’t.  My CAD designer, Brandy, has been a great help with that.   

Gotham Pendant in 14 k Rose Gold, Hand Engraved with Emerald Cut Sapphire

Trillion Flower Gatsby Pendant in 14 K Rose Gold with Morganite and Diamond

Engraved Trillion Gatsby Ring with Iolite, Platinum Silver

Gotham Earrings in 14 K Rose Gold, Hand Engraved with Emerald Cut Sapphire

Mahenge Spinel Revisited

I've decided to do another blog entry on Mahenges not only because I am totally obsessed with them but also because I recently got to pick a small batch from a 2009 parcel that my supplier's uncle released from his vault.  The rest of the parcel went overseas but I got some neat stuff.  I'll be listing my pretties piece by piece for the upcoming holiday season.

As you may or may not know, Mahenge spinel, which is only mined in one place in the world (Mahenge, Tanzania) has steadily declined in production in the last year or two.  Estimates range from a decrease between 50 and 75%.  At the same time, demand for this pretty neon-colored gem has increased.  I think it must be the color.  When I wear my Mahenge ring around, people who know nothing about gems comment on it and "want one" - until they find out the price!

1-2 Carat Spinel Parcel

Prices for Mahenges, in fact, have just about quadrupled since I've started buying them 4 years ago.  And if supply stays low, then this isn't going to change anytime soon.  Even Mahenge cabochons now cost more than ever, and cabochon grade rough is often being faceted. 

So what should you expect and look for if you, too, have been infected with Mahenge fever?  Other than high prices that is?  In terms of size, restrain yourself.  The 1-2 carat range is still reasonably good in supply, but anything above 2 carats is tough to come by.  Prices in the 1-2 carat range are between $1200 and $2400 per carat depending on where you go.  Prices in the 2-3 carat range are more than twice that.  Above 3 carats?  Depends.  You'd be lucky to find anything at all.

2-3 Carat Mahenge Spinel

Last July, a young couple approached me that wanted to have a Mahenge for an engagement stone.  3-4 carats it was supposed to be, and flawless.  I took them straight to my supplier's office to pick their own stone (they lived locally and my attempts to memo out what they were looking for failed - nothing was perfect enough).  They sifted through several hundred gems and found not even 10 that had the required size.  None were free from inclusions.  None were perfect.  Nothing suited them in America's largest collection of Mahenge spinels.  Clearly, their expectations were just too high (I still read about their quest periodically on Price Scope, and they say they have been looking for quite some time).

Long story short, inclusions are to be expected in that size and in smaller stones as well (one carat and above, say).  Also, sometimes the cutter maximizes the rough to get better yield, and so you might find a natural in the girdle or a back facet.  That's where the material simply ended and the experienced cutter made the most of it.  These things are not of grave concern and do not affect value or durability.  Only when the gem's appearance and inner glow is diminished should you hesitate.  Because they have such intense color, Mahenges mask their inclusions well, so you can let yourself be guided by your instincts.  Do you keep "seeing" the inclusion?  Is it visible to the naked eye?  Will it be visible after the stone is set?

Another factor that I think you need to be flexible on is cutting.  I don't mean window.  Window is no good.  But some tilt window is to be expected and not all gems will be Portuguese or otherwise precision cut.  Recuts are only recommended if the carat weight can be preserved (so a 2+ carat stone should stay above 2 carats).  I don't mean the cut should be ugly.  On the other hand, you may get a great Mahenge that is not master cut and you may want to keep it that way.  The main thing, in my view, is that the gem faces up well and catches attention.

3-4 Carat Mahenge Spinel, one more peachy, one more violet

That said, there are two characteristics of Mahenges that you should stay away from.  One is washed out color.  A valuable Mahenge should be neon.  The most desirable is the straight neon pink.  But equally expensive is a reddish or peachy color.  The important factor is simply that the gem should be saturated , open colored and lively.  Because Mahenges are somewhat ligher stones (compared, say, to darker Tsavorites) you should not see much extinction, if any.

The second characteristic that I discourage is cloudiness.  I've seen many (many many), literally thousands of Mahenges at this point.  And sometimes they are cloudy - or sort of "dead" looking.  I spot it right away now but in the beginning I didn't always see it.  You need to look at some gems to get experience of this, but in the long run, that's worth it because cloudiness tends to bother people.  In the larger sizes, cloudy gems still tend to be expensive, and if the stone is extremely strong colored, it can sometimes be a tiny bit cloudy.  But more than that is no good.  The crisper the better.   With a hint of velvet maybe.  Not more than that.

Happy hunting! 

Buying Opals, Pro’s and Cons

I do not carry a lot of opal jewelry in my shop, but with the month of opal coming up, I can share with you my experience with this gem.  As you know, opal is a very soft stone and that makes it hard to work with – one reason I don’t carry it much.  Bezel settings look nicest, yet prongs are safest if you don’t want to crack the gem or expand an inclusion to the surface.  You need an experienced setter, especially if you work with harder metals like white gold.  Silver is far easier.  One trick that I have used is to backset the gem, where prongs are gently folded down behind it.  I have also used glue to hold down the stone, but the problem with glue is that the gem can come loose over time and fall out.  Or the glue dissolves in jewelry cleaner (especially if acetone is involved).

Currently, opals are mainly mined in two locations: Australia and Ethiopia.  But opals are also found elsewhere, i.e. Mexico and Tanzania.  Most of those do not have play of color though, whereas Australian and Ethiopian opals exhibit what we think of as typical in terms of color: blue, green, yellow, and if you are lucky, some red (that’s the rarest color).

Boulder Opal Pair

I personally prefer Australian opal.  There are several reasons for this.  One is simply that I think they are prettier, especially the boulder opals which already come with their natural sandstone backing that brings out the color.  The deeper reason is durability.  Many Ethiopian opals tend to crack over time as the moisture goes out (opals are 5% water).  And soaking them doesn’t help, in fact, it can make it worse because as the stone dries, it cracks even more.  Over time, some Ethiopian opals also seem to lose their play of color and turn white.  That may be because they dry out, I don’t know.  Lastly, prices of Ethiopian opals have increased drastically, and I frankly don’t see the point of paying that much money for something that doesn’t last.

Ethiopian Opal Beads

Australian opals also have problems.  There are a lot of set doublets on the market (not always identified as such), and many opals are smoked to make their body color darker and bring out the color.  This can affect durability as well.  Opal prices have gone up but at least the Aussie prices have stabilized in the last couple of years.  I love any type of Boulder Opal (I like Koroit but I love the ones from Queensland).  It has the most color, a strong sandstone back comes in nice sizes for good prices.  You can look on Etsy but also at Opalauctions.com, and get pretty pieces shipped directly from Australia.

When you care for you opal, definitely stay away from any kind of harsh jewelry cleaners.  Use soap and water, a baby toothbrush (gently), and leave it at that.  Don’t expect your opal to become a family heirloom – most don’t last that long – and make sure that you don’t expose it to too many chances to crack it.  No gardening, no cooking, with opals rings! 

Boulder Opals

Boulder Opals

Huge Boulder Opal

Some Thoughts on the Challenge of Making Custom Quotes

Now that I have so many gemstones for sale, I get considerably more requests for custom quotes than I did in the past.  And I face new challenges.  I have been thinking that if I share some of these, perhaps I can get some suggestions from you as I develop price lists and a custom form for my new webpage.

               Making a quote minimally involves calculations on the following three factors:

1. Gemstones:  this math is easy if you have picked out your stone, but if I have to multiply out, say, sidestones for a pendant or ring, or diamonds for a halo, then that involves more.  I usually just “ballpark” smaller colored stones (1-2mm sizes) but I have to calculate out diamonds exactly.  Each size and each grade will change the calculation.  So a half pointer G/H VS is different from a 1 pointer G/H SI.

2. Metal cost:  this can be tricky.  It is easiest if I have an existing ring that I can weigh or that is one of my molds, because I have the weights listed in my mold sheet.  Then I multiply by the current gold price. If I have to make the ring from scratch, I have to consult a catalog that gives me the weights of metal strips in different mm sizes and thicknesses.  The weight is usually in 14 K yellow, so that involves conversions if it is platinum or 18k.  For silver I just ballpark because silver is cheap.  Another factor that influences weight is the finger size.  A size 5 is much lighter than a 9.  I have lists for that also, that is, how many mm metal strip I need for which finger size.  With gold, you need to be exact because just ¼ gram in weight can make a big difference.  I also have to calculate some metal loss, or the cost of the sprue, so I add a little % to each calculation.  Finally, settings can vary drastically in price, and there are no price lists that contain every single setting in every single size (for instance, bezels weigh more than prong settings, but some prong settings are more hefty than others, and each mm size makes the setting heavier).  Plus gold prices change every day so when you shop, you pay a % markup on that day’s spot price.  As you get more experienced, you learn to estimate better, and that helps.  But the rule of thumb in the market is not to underestimate because if you cut it too tight, you can very quickly lose money, especially when your markup is low (mine is very low by industry standard).

Metal Strip Price List for 10K Flat Wire

3. Labor: labor breaks down into several categories.  If it is a casting, then you add casting labor.  That’s only a few dollars, so that’s good.  If you have to make a mold, you add that in.  If there is 3-C printing or CAD work involved, that’s another price depending on the time it takes to make it.  If there is soldering, I have a rough idea of what each type of soldering costs and I add that in. Then there is setting labor.  Setting labor depends on stone size, bezel or prong, millgrain or pave.  And of course the number of stones.  So a ring with 12 sidestones that are 2mm, with a 6 mm center, pave, can be very different from a 3 stone ring that’s prong set.  Finally, you have to add polishing and plating costs (i.e. rhodium). 

Sample Page from Settings Catalog - Look at all those Sizes and there are Pages and Pages of this Stuff

Now this was the simple calculation.  When you get to a complicated CAD design then often you have to make a 2-D or even 3D rough drawing before you can get the pricing exact.  That means the customer has to be very specific about what she wants, or provide me with a budget first, otherwise the back and forth can be endless.  And if I have to send out 3 possible quotes involving three design alterations, I can easily be sitting for an hour just to do the math.

At the very end, I add my wholesale markup, which has to account for the following factors: my own time and labor which involves quotes, photos, seeing the order through, all customer communications, shipping time.  I work approximately 40 hrs a week just running the shop.  Then there is assistant’s overall time helping with the shop, shipping costs, overhead (computer cost, travel to NY, electric, etc), Etsy cost, PayPal or Direct Checkout cost, as well as development costs when I make new designs, putting orders together, accounting costs, and costs for items not sold, items wasted, items broken (not negligible!).  What does that add up to?  Very very minimally, you have to double your cost once you’ve worked out the initial item cost.  But a safer calculation is x1.2-1.5 depending on how much your other costs are.  Everyone in industry – just about any industry – tells you that even for wholesale, if you don’t do at least double, you will go under.  I frequently get chided by people for not being careful with my own costs, and I’m not saying this to make you feel guilty!  My shop does very well but I work hard for that.

Complicated enough for you?  Now you know why custom shops usually charge so much money.  By the time the customer is satisfied and the numbers are correct, you can have spent more time than it takes to actually make the piece.  Well, I’m overstating of course, but it is definitely more involved than what meets the eye.  That’s why so many shops just have basic designs and price lists based on those, as opposed to making everything to order. 

My Visit with Etsy

So Etsy has a bi-weekly event called Eatsy, where all employees of Etsy eat together.  Etsy employees, known as Etsy admin, can invite Etsy members for a visit and a tour, plus meet with various staff members that might be helpful to their shop.  I got invited to one last week by Bernadette Sweeney, Director of Community Connections.  Etsy is located in the Dumbo section of Brooklyn, which is only a subway ride away from my house. Not every Etsy member is that lucky and I felt very privileged to get picked.  What I took away from the hour I spent there is that Etsy really practices what it preaches.  I’d love to work there - if I wasn’t already doing too many things full time, lol. 

Etsy Reception Area

Etsy Office Space

The first thing that struck me when I stepped through the entrance was how relaxed and welcoming everything looked.  The foyer is lined with plants, and the reception area contains lots of handmade items that set the tone for the company, which is all about handmade after all.  The work areas are open and spacious, dress is casual, and nobody has to punch in and out.  There are no phones on the desks (they’re not really needed) but there are little “phone” booths off to the side where one can make calls or sit with someone and chat privately. Bernadette allowed me to take some photos to share with everyone on my blog.

Etsy has a sizable kitchen area.  Lunch is catered twice a week by local restaurants, it is organic and sustainable whenever possible, not served on plastic plates but recycled paper with real silverware.  Every lunch has a vegetarian option.  There is a compost and the paper is collected separately.  There are coffee machines and refrigerators, but no plastic cups, only mugs which you can take outside to get a coffee at one of the local shops.

During lunch, I got to meet Kim Alfonso who is the Director of Seller Development.  She's the force behind the seller's handbook, the success tips and some of the other blogs.  We swapped stories about possible blog entries and we talked a lot about what works well on Etsy, as well a little about where there could be improvements.  Kimm was very interested in finding out my views about the seller platform, which is why it is so important for Etsy to meet with some of its sellers in person.

I also met with Nadine Heintz, the Seller Editor Content Manager, with whom I had a long chat about the convo system and custom orders.  As those of you who ask for custom work with me know, the convo system can quickly get unruly and then it is hard to find the important part of the conversation where the details of the order were settled.  And since I often manage 10 or more custom orders at once, I can easily get mixed up (and I have!).  I also get a lot of questions more than once.  To help with this, Etsy has created snippets, where you can copy snippets of conversations, i.e. my policies, with a couple of clicks, so you don't have to write everything twice.

Another thing I took away from our discussion was that I should create a custom order sheet which can be uploaded into the convo system.  That would eliminate some of the back and forth.

One of the things that really surprised me during my Etsy tour was that dogs were allowed in the work area.  I met Beanie (photo) and two other cuties that lazed around near their respective owners.  I wish more companies did that!  Etsy also has rooms with couches and other seating areas where you can work if you don’t feel like sitting at your desk, another thing that made the atmosphere very relaxed.  Those rooms are often used for meetings, or for workshops held by employees that want to share their craft.  In fact just about every room and every desk was decorated with some handmade item or other which the staff had bought on Etsy (every new hire gets a $100 gift coupon to buy something for their desk).

Kitchen Area

Working Space with Couches

Beanie

Etsy is what's called a B-Corporation, which is short for Benefit Corporation.  This is a for profit corporation but it has a special certification, similar to Fair Trade (for foods and apparel), that holds corporations to a higher standard of accountability, purpose and transparency (you can find the full explanation at bcorportation.net online).  The non-profit company B-corp is the certifying body, and there are now over 1000 B-Corporations all over the country.

The B-Corp standard is presumably why Etsy and its staff are so open to visitors.  I personally found it very reassuring that my mission to be sustainable and promote local artisanship aligned so well with Etsy’s own standards.  It makes me be very happy to be a part of it.

Etsy Mascot - Handmade of Course

Etsy Foyer

Bike Room

How Are Gemstones Sourced, and is Their Sourcing Ethical?

That is actually a question I come across fairly often in some shape or other.  I.e. are your gems ethically sourced, do they meet the Kimberly standards, are they Fair Trade?  I have written about this before, but I think it is time to revisit the issue.

               Three observations, an anecdote, and finally an indeterminate conclusion:  First observation. Most countries in which gemstones are mined these days have few to no laws that protect workers or the environment, and few offer anything like “fair pay” (however much that is).  Second observation: the Kimberly process only applies to diamonds not colored stones - and there is a lot to be said about whether it even works in the first place.  Third observation: the label “Fair Trade” does not exist when it comes to minerals.  Fair Trade covers only food stuffs and more recently, apparel and home goods.  So given the way the questions were phrased above, the answer is simple: no, no, and no.  But it is more complicated than that. 

               Now the anecdote – or rather, two anecdotes.  My German geologist friend Jochen Hintze had recently heard about some new tourmaline finds in the Congo that he wanted to investigate.  He travelled to neighboring Rwanda, first to a town called Kigali and from there, together with a local friend, he took a bus to Gisengy, right at the border to the Congo.  Upon his first try at crossing the border to get to a town called Goma, he was refused entry because he didn’t have a visa.  But after some negotiations with the border chef which presumably involved money, he was given a “special” visa – there is no such thing according to the law, but the practice is nevertheless common.  The town of Goma is dangerous so one can travel only during the day.  Jochen had heard of various shops where minerals were being traded, but none of them seemed to exist any longer.  So his Rwandan friend placed various phone calls to old school friends which resulted in an invitation into the house of a local official.  The official loaned them a car and a bodyguard for a “tour of the city” and placed some phone calls of his own.  Shortly thereafter, people came to Jochen’s hotel to offer goods.  They explained that the local shops no longer existed because they kept getting robbed, so all trading now takes place privately and through connections.  Jochen was offered some faceted tourmalines at a fixed price, and he bought a few.

               Jochen then travelled back to his office in Arusha, Tanzania.  There, he was told by local brokers that some tourmaline crystals of an interesting yellow and pink color had been found at Mwanga the day before.  Negotiations took place a couple days later, once the locals had decided on the value of their parcel.  Jochen bought the entire 2 kg lot in the end.  How did he know what to pay?  After all, there are no fixed prices, only what the market will bear, or what someone is willing to pay.  In making his offer, Jochen has to calculate his travel costs, the costs of the shows at which he will offer out the goods, how much of the lot might move at which price, how much of the lot may not sell, and what kind of total income this will yield.  The locals in turn have to figure out how many possible buyers they have, who will be honest and who will cheat, and what the competition can offer that is better or worse, and at what price.  And those are just a few considerations.

Mwanga Tanzania

               Mining itself is usually done in locations without electricity and with very little equipment.  Stones can be washed out of rivers, or drilled out of rocks, sometimes just on the surface, sometimes a few meters below, and in a few cases, like Tanzanite, up to a few hundred meters down.  Very little energy, except human energy, is used.  The price of rough depends on availability of buyers and material.  Profits are shared among locals, with some percentage going to the local government for the use of the mine.  Or the mining is “illegal” meaning somewhere in the middle of nowhere where nobody is watching and people just take what they can, then sell it.  In a sense therefore, there is a system, but by American and European standards, it is ad hoc and involves little to no government control.  Still, among locals, the rules can be clear and will be adhered to.

               Let us now revisit our original question.  If I buy some of Jochen’s tourmalines, did I source them ethically?  Did he?  What is your view? 

               I usually do know where my materials come from, and of course just like you, I have access to information about how that particular area or country is structured in terms of mining, or how what type of mining it is.  I also tend to think that the more money flows back to the original source, the better.  I am against cheating, against the use of violence in sourcing materials, and I would like to see those who work to find these gems paid and fed.  I’d like the environmental impact to be minimal.  But is this enough?