Fair Trade For Luxury Goods?

By Author: Peter Maril
Total Articles: 35
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When one thinks of fair trade, thoughts automatically run to agriculture products, fruits, coffee, cotton products and other items that have been associated over the years with the trading industries.
Although the jewelry industry is often considered simply a luxury trade for the wealthy, you may not realize just how many families depend on the trading of gemstones for their livelihood. As an example, one diamond may directly effect approxmiately 10,000 individuals, a presious stone perhaps 5,000 or more individuals. From mining, to trading, developing, and final market sales, the gemstone industry supports many economies in significant ways.

Who will associate diamond, ruby, sapphire or emerald with fair trade?
Agriculture,fruits, coffee or cotton products are much more in favor of consumers in need of a compensation for their kind of guilt feeling thinking how much their lawn machine costs in terms of global warming.
Jewelry industry is glamour, generally focused on "people", wealth and expensive brands. TV's, newspapers and all medias look only at the end customer and his provider (The Jeweler), ...
... but how many people just made a living by just carefully handling this diamond, or gemstone, from mine to shop.
One diamond, probably 10 000 persons may directly live on it, one precious stone, 5 000, or maybe 2 000 for a simple colored stone...
Who want to meet miners in remotes and hostile deserts or jungles? What about gem cutters sitting silently in dark cutting factories? Who cares about the gem brokers, with for only capital, their honesty and the trust from gem owners, running from shops to factories, subject to crime, robberies or cheating while trying to sell gems for an tiny percentage?
Some of these hard workers now have a place where they can offer the much sought gemstones to public without fear.
A place where they can sit and chat together about jewelry trends and customers, sport and politics, life and karma.
Gem dealers and gemstones lovers find there all diamonds or gems directly through brokers from lapidary factories.
They buy directly on a really free transparent market where the smallest gemstone cutter can compete, and win, commercially against the big gem owner, possibly even his own boss.
In these places you have the unique opportunity to meet the real people behind gems, their real lives, their rich culture. These places are hugely profitable not only in terms of money or investment, but above all in terms of human exchanges.
Located right in the middle of main diamond and gemstones markets in Antwerp (Belgium), Chanthaburi (Thailand) and Jaipur (India), they are real fair trade expanding areas bringing fresh air to the gem and jewelry market.
Peter Maril is the author of this article on diamond . Find more information relating to precious stones , and gemstones here.