How to buy ethical jewellery

This week Fashion Statement is celebrating the third annual London jewellery week. From workshops to competitions via launches and career advice, the event aims to promote London's place in the world of all things shiny. But the bit FS is really looking forward to is the Essence ethical event at Treasure, which will feature ethical jewellery designers and also act as forum for debate about ethical jewellery.

Which brings us to our dilemma - what's wrong with a bit of luxury sparkle? In many cases, nothing. Small-scale jewellery shops and sites promoting fabulous handmade pieces are great, and get the big FS thumbs up. Take Gaudion Bowerbank (full disclosure: the company is co-owned by our own Kelly Bowerbank, who runs the fashion desk AND a company. FS can barely even run for a bus). All their pieces are handmade to order by the designers, which means unless our Kelly has a secret dark side, we're pretty sure the designers are treating themselves quite well and no whips or poisonous chemicals are involved.

And that, we're afraid, is more than can be said for a lot of jewellery. Most of us now know about blood diamonds, what with that Leonardo DiCaprio film and all. Thanks to the impact of the Kimberley Process, the amount of diamonds from conflict countries is now vastly reduced - down to a fraction of 1% compared with 15% in the 1990s. So De Beers - which produces 40% of the world's diamonds - can now call all its stones conflict-free.

This is all great, but unfortunately just because a diamond isn't a conflict gem doesn't mean all is happy and shiny and workers are trilling their way to work, skipping through the fields. Social and environmental conditions can still be grim; often the workers are children, the pay is appalling, and toxic chemicals (arsenic and mercury, among others) are used, which have devastating human and environmental consequences. For a positively biblical vision of hell, have a look at Sebastião Salgado's famous photo-essay on Brazil's Sierra Pelada goldmine (which is now defunct, leaving a giant open pit that has turned into a polluted lake). Still want a solitaire for Christmas?

As of yet, there are no certified Fair Trade diamonds or precious gems. Many companies such as CRED are trying to change this, by working with the Alliance for Responsible Mining (ARM), among others. This Colombian-based organsation was born out of the Oro Verde (green gold) movement, which has been producing a responsible and traceable supply chain of gold since 2004. Ethical companies such as Fifi Bijoux use this gold for their pieces.

Ethical gold was given a big fillip earlier this year by the annoucement of new Fairtrade standards for gold. For the 100m people who depend directly or indirectly on small-scale gold mining, that is very good news indeed. So FS implores you to look out for the soon-to-arrive FAIRTRADE mark on gold jewellery, and to buy responsibly. And we also promise that we'll stop being so serious now.