By Mary Michel, Director, Incorporation of Goldsmiths
WHEN people invest in handcrafted gold and silver they increasingly want to know that the beauty and ethics are in harmony. Designers, makers and customers regard the provenance of the precious metals used for everything from earrings to tableware as being critically important. This isn’t surprising as they are often bought or commissioned to celebrate joyful moments, such as birthdays, engagements and weddings, so they are filled with personal and symbolic meaning.
In every sector from fashion to food there is a burgeoning demand from producers and consumers for goods to reflect a set of values and responsibilities. For gold and silversmiths this is closely tied to issues about who mines the metals and how, and the environmental impact of the processes used to create the finished product.
The men, women and children who work in mines in the developing world often do so for as little as a dollar a day. Their lives and health can be at risk from unsafe conditions and exposure to toxic chemicals.
There are, though, plentiful examples of good practice where rights are respected, workers are properly rewarded and taxes are paid – so the wealth they generate brings social prosperity. The Incorporation of Goldsmiths is determined to help bring changes and improvements. It is forming a broad alliance of makers, designers and educators to make Scotland a world leader in ethical handcrafted designer gold and silver.
This will begin to bear fruit early next year with the launch of an online Ethical Resource which will include information on best practice and on purchasing ethical gold and silver. The Incorporation is working on a pledge with the seven silversmithing and jewellery departments at Scotland’s art colleges to put ethical sourcing on their curricula. We will train student ambassadors to spread information to their fellows and also plan to support departments so the precious metals they use are ethically sourced. College involvement means that ethical practice will be the norm for new generations of silversmiths and jewellery makers rather than something they have to change their practice to achieve.
The public can glimpse the future at Elements 3, the festival of gold, silver and jewellery we are organising with Lyon and Turnbull from tomorrow until Sunday at their Edinburgh showrooms.
Next year, at Elements 4, the entire main exhibition will be dedicated to ethical work. For those unfamiliar with the Incorporation, we were founded by royal charter in 1687, though our roots stretch far back into medieval times. Our role has been to defend the gold and silversmithing trades, but we are also Scotland’s oldest consumer protection body, overseeing the hallmarking process that guarantees the quality of precious metals. In the 21st century we see that these responsibilities are far-reaching and that ethical business makes economic sense.
Market reports show that as consumer awareness grows, brands with clear and authentic ethical policies, will be the strongest. Crucially, ethical consumption is coming to define the way millennials (a prime target group for the jewellery and fashion industries) are buying.
Scotland is already known as a centre for some of the most imaginative design and finest craftsmanship in gold, silver and jewellery. As a trusted source of ethical craftsmanship it can build a strong market advantage while also helping the sector move towards a more sustainable economic model, and contributing to economic progress in the developing world.
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