Fair Gemstones for Jewelry | Dear Darling Berlin

Fair trade gemstones: Radiantly beautiful and ethically sound

The world of gemstones is as diverse as it is fascinating. From luminous rubies to iridescent sapphires and breathtaking amethysts, there is a variety of precious stones that make our jewelry-loving hearts beat faster! But behind all the sparkling facets, gemstone mining often hides negative consequences, including environmental damage, social problems, and ethical concerns. Poor working conditions still prevail in many mines, including low wages for local workers, unsafe working conditions, and, not infrequently, child labor.

Overall, gemstone mining is a complex web that requires careful monitoring and regulation to minimize negative impacts and promote a more sustainable and ethical industry.

By choosing to source our gemstones from small, trusted dealers in Germany, we aim to contribute to an ethical future for the gemstone trade. We can trace almost every stone back to its mine – a rarity in the industry.

What makes a gemstone "fair"?

The core objective is to ensure that the workers who quarry these stones are paid fairly and can work under safe conditions. Furthermore, attention is paid to environmental sustainability in order to minimize the negative impact of the quarrying on nature.

The conventional route a gemstone takes from mining to finished piece of jewelry involves many intermediaries. The stone is mined and—ideally—cut directly in its country of origin, and then travels from local to international dealers. Each of these dealers naturally wants to make a profit, and so a large portion of the profit doesn't end up in the country of origin, but somewhere else.

With fair trade gemstones, the supply chain is kept as short as possible. This is also known as the mine-to-market principle . It describes the path of a gemstone from its country of origin (mining and cutting) via a trader directly to the goldsmith or jewelry label. This ensures that the supply chain remains as transparent and traceable as possible, and guarantees that people can work under safe conditions and for a fair wage. As a result, a larger portion of the profits remains in the country of origin, strengthening the local economy.

Origin of our gemstones

For the most part, we can trace our gemstones back to the mine in Madagascar, Sri Lanka, or Brazil , for example, with our suppliers MIADANA or CEYLONS from Germany. This is by no means a given in the jewelry industry, and we are very pleased to have these two strong partners at our side.

At AURHEN ecofair, we source eco-fair gemstones, such as amethyst, aquamarine, and citrine. Eco-fair here means ecological, economical, and fair. This family-run company from Germany has been committed to environmentally sound and socially responsible gemstone sourcing since 1999. Owner Felix and his team are personally involved in the entire supply chain and know the origin and mining conditions of each individual stone.

Gemstones that we cannot source from these three sources for various reasons (e.g., unavailable in the required quality, quantity, or size) are acquired directly through our German manufacturer, which is a member of the Responsible Jewellery Council. The RJC is a global membership and standards organization for responsible jewelry throughout the entire supply chain. Each partner must demonstrate that they operate responsibly and sustainably on ethical, social, and environmental levels to receive the prestigious certification.

We source the small gemstones for our Birthstone collection directly from our partner manufacturer in Spain.

We always strive to offer you excellent quality at a fair price. If you have any special requests or questions, we'd love to hear from you!