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Feb 05th
Home arrow News arrow World arrow The USA: Washing Jewellery Green
The USA: Washing Jewellery Green Print E-mail
Saturday, 20 March 2010
Jewellery companies have been accused of unethical marketing practices in an article published in the National Jeweler. The piece, written by Jewelers Vigilance Committee  (JVC), charged the jewellery industry of trying to appeal to conscious consumers through greenwashing.

A report stated that “(o)ne recent ad for lab-grown diamond jewelry featured images of bracelets, rings and necklaces set against the background of a sunlit forest. The caption read “Buy Green! No Environmental Impact!”. However, the JVC found the environmental claims were based solely on the fact that synthetic diamonds are manufactured, not mined, thereby sidestepping mining’s negative environmental impacts.

The report also stated: “In a second ad, images of intricately designed jewelry labeled “handmade” appeared next to smiling women and children in African-tribal attire with the words, “The World Is One,” followed by smaller text that said “Buy Fair Trade. It’s Only Fair.” The JVC learned that the company’s “fair trade” claim was based upon the fact that the final product was manufactured in a properly ventilated room that adequately protected workers from toxic chemicals.”

While there is no such thing as fair trade certification in jewellery, it has been said  that fair trade should clearly be more broadly defined to include fair wages and safe working conditions.
 

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