Special Mention:

Living Room Sessions

The jewelry industry’s virtual hang-out for community and conversation on responsible sourcing and sustainability.

A beloved meeting, held bi-monthly, with friends and peers of the jewelry industry. A safe space to talk and reflect on the issues around sustainable and responsible jewelry practices. The last Living Room session was held in November of 2024.

Together, we hosted over 34 sessions in a five-year time period, which included over 88 guest speakers all supported by over 55 people generously contributing to help underwrite the costs of producing the sessions.

Check out our Blog posts for each session + the respective video recording.

CMC supports and works closely with other projects and initiatives that share the same mission: making the jewelry industry more sustainable

Amazon Aid

Gold mining is a leading cause of forest destruction, mercury contamination, catastrophic health issues, biodiversity loss, along with human exploitation and violence in the Amazon Region. Amazon Aid, one of CMC’s major long-term clients and partners, seeks to preserve and protect the rainforest for the health of the entire planet.

The Amazon Gold Alliance (AGA), facilitated by Amazon Aid, is a collaborative network of leaders across the entire gold value chain dedicated to addressing gold’s impact in the Amazon. Christina is the AGA's Network Director, and Cecilia is the Institutional & Network Capacity Lead.

Better Without Mercury

Christina Miller and her team support and help raise funds for the Better Without Mercury project. Led by miner and activist Rolberto Alvarez, the initiative is aimed at removing mercury contamination from artisanal, Fairmined certified Colombian gold mine, Gualconda.

In 2017, the mining association La Fortaleza stopped using mercury at the processing site. Now the goal is to clean up the remaining neuro-toxin from the water and restore the land. The estimated cost of the effort is $65,000 USD. At the time of writing, almost half of the sum has been collected, and the first phase of the project completed. You can still donate to the initiative via the Ethical Metalsmiths website, the organization co-founded by Christina Miller.

Photos © Gualconda Mine

Fairmined Gold, ARM

During 2012-2014 the Alliance for Responsible Mining (ARM) non-profit together with 130 stakeholders from 4 continents developed the Fairmined Standard for gold. The goal of the initiative is to support the sustainable development of artisanal and small-scale mining organizations (ASMOs).

ASMOs can get a Fairmined Certification which assures that the gold produced by the organization meets all of the requirements of the Fairmined Standard. According to the Fairmined Standard, the gold of responsible origin is traceable, produced in good work conditions, extracted with mining practices that mitigate harm to the environment, and aimed at the development of artisanal and small-scale mining communities. One of our Living Room Sessions was dedicated to the Fairmined trip to mine sites in Peru.

Kimberley Process Civil Society Coalition

Christina T. Miller facilitated a 8-month process between all the members of the Kimberley Process Civil Society Coalition to address ongoing concerns from the parties about continuing violence and conflict in several producer countries.

The Coalition calls for urgent industry action: ‘Stop the ongoing flow of conflict diamonds’ a public statement issued in 2021. The KP Civil Society Coalition calls on the jewelry industry to endorse several commitments outlined in the call for action.

Photo © Kimberley Process Civil Society Coalition

USAID’s Zahabu Safi (Clean Gold) Project

This was a five-year, $11.9 million program that was launched in 2018 and aimed at connecting gold buyers with a responsible, conflict-free, and traceable artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) gold supply chain from the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Some of the main goals of the project were: (i) creating market and demand for Eastern DRC produced gold by building up buyer confidence in the ASM gold supply chain; (ii) increasing the supply of responsible gold available; and (iii) overseeing that the process is implemented in a responsible manner beneficial to everyone involved. USAID’s Zahabu Safi (Clean Gold) Project was discussed in detail during one of our Living Room Sessions.

Photo © USAID Zahabu Safi (Clean Gold) Project

Chicago Responsible Jewelry Conference

The Chicago Responsible Jewelry Conference seeks to create responsible supply chains for jewelry materials and production. Founded by Susan Wheeler and held annually, the conference delves into thought-provoking talks and panels on critical issues and solutions about the future of sustainable and ethical practices in the jewelry industry. It also hosts the Gem Boutique where vetted vendors sell their products and services.

Diamonds for Peace

At the helm of Chie Murakami, Founder & Executive Director, Diamonds for Peace is an NGO striving to improve the working conditions and social status of artisanal diamond workers on Africa in general and Liberia in particular. They raise awareness, provide assistance and promote ethics in the diamond industry while engaging with communities on the ground.

PeaceGold

PeaceGold is a social enterprise that seeks to build peace in conflict-afflicted artisanal and small-scale gold mining communities in the DRC, a long-term project lead by Greg Valerio. By responsibly mining gold, legally exporting it while eradicating child labor, improving livelihoods and providing support to miners and their communities, gold can become a tool for peace and prosperity.

Root Studios

Root Studios, an initiative created by Fas Lebbie, builds local capacity across Africa by empowering the youth to learn digital skills that may expand their livelihood opportunities beyond their current extractive work. Funded through their for-profit subsidiary, Root Diamonds, these students from artisanal diamond mining communities engage in job-ready programs to transition to sustainable livelihoods while leveraging the potential of their diamond mining efforts. A Living Room session goes into more detail.

Moyo Gems

Directly sourced from women miners of East Africa, Moyo Gems is a responsible miner-to-market gemstone collaboration. It works alongside the Tanzanian Women Miners' Association (TAWOMA) and their Kenyan equivalent, the Association of Women in Energy & Extractive Industries in Kenya (AWEIK). Moyo means 'heart' in Kiswahili (dominant language in Tanzania and Kenya).

Photos © Anza Gems

Do You Need Help with Integrating Responsible Jewelry Practices?

We understand that the process of moving towards responsible jewelry practices can be challenging, especially at the beginning. Let us know how we can help you.