Archive for August, 2008
Sapphires – The Royal Gem and September’s Birthstone
Wednesday, August 27th, 2008Sapphires have a long and illustrious history as one of the four major precious gemstones along with diamonds, rubies and emeralds, yet they are still a mystery to many people.
Introducing Brilliant Earth’s New Website Features
Wednesday, August 27th, 2008In our continuing effort to provide as much detail as possible about the origins of our ethically sourced jewelry, we’re excited to announce the following recent additions to our website.
Colored gemstone mining is often conducted unscrupulously and in a manner that damages the environment and creates adverse labor and living conditions for miners and local […]
Report on Child Gold Mining in Africa
Friday, August 22nd, 2008According to United Nations reports, 1/5 of the world’s gold comes from primitive bush mines in Africa, South America and Asia, which are being mined by children as young as four years old. These impoverished children are lured by promises of $2/day wages, of which they typically only receive a fraction. The children are required […]
Canadian Diamonds Assessment
Friday, August 22nd, 2008At Brilliant Earth, we carefully and continually monitor our gemstone and precious metal sources to ensure that they remain up to our high standards of ethical and environmentally responsible practices. We recently conducted a comprehensive assessment of the two mines from which we obtain our Canadian-sourced diamonds. Both mines were assessed for responsible Wildlife + […]
Madagascar Responds to Gemstone Smuggling Problem
Friday, August 22nd, 2008In response to the recent alleged smuggling of an astounding 1,179-pound rough emerald from Madagascar, the African island nation’s government imposed a ban on the export of all gemstones. While it has continued to haggle over the emerald’s return with a French company that claims ownership, the country is once again exporting cut and finished […]
Update on Brilliant Earth Scholarship Recipients
Friday, August 22nd, 2008Brilliant Earth recently teamed up with the Institute of Gemology of Madagascar (IGM) to fund two full scholarships for disabled students to learn the art of gemstone cutting, or lapidary. The program not only provides much-needed skilled job training to worthy candidates, but benefits Madagascar’s long-term development by boosting the country’s fledgling gem-cutting industry.
Our two […]
Wal-Mart Introduces Love, Earth® Collection
Friday, August 22nd, 2008Mega retailer Wal-Mart has recently introduced a new collection of gold and silver jewelry that, according to its website, is “made with materials from sources that are committed to protecting the environment” and “designed to inspire a global fashion movement based on the precepts of recycle, reduce, and respect.”
Executive Order Prohibits Trade with Zimbabwe’s Minerals Marketing Corporation
Friday, August 1st, 2008President George W. Bush signed an executive order to expand sanctions against Zimbabwe. The executive order prohibits individuals and entities closely linked with President Robert Mugabe to operate with U.S. firms. It also forbids U.S. residents and businesses from conducting financial or commercial transactions with rough diamond supplier Minerals Marketing Corporation (MMC) of Zimbabwe, and […]