ECO-FRIENDLY RINGS
Jewelry Industry Practices and Fair Trade

There is much going on in the jewelry industry these days related to fair trade, fair made, sustainable practices, and the green movement.  Learn about our conflict-free diamonds, fair trade and lab-created gemstones, recycled metals, and support of non-profit organizations committed to protecting the environment.

Lab-Created Sapphires from Chatham

If you are looking for an eco-friendly alternative to natural sapphires, consider synthetic sapphires from Chatham.  No earth is moved in the creation of these gemstones, and they are optically and atomically identical to sapphires from Mother Nature.  We have made many custom rings with lab-grown sapphire.

Moissanite: Lab-Created Diamond Simulant

Moissanite from Charles & Covard is an eco-friendly alternative to diamond.  Its beauty rivals a diamond, and even better, it is more affordable.  Many of our customers have ordered rings with moissanite.

Recycled Metals from Hoover & Strong

Krikawa is proud to provide on request Harmony Metals, 100% recycled precious metals. Harmony Metals, available from Hoover & Strong, are recycled from the Earth's existing metal supply, i.e. from scrap metal purchased from jewelers and other refineries. Find out more about their refining and recycling process in their Harmony brochure.

Krikawa Named Social Responsible Jeweler by JCK Magazine

What does it mean to be a socially responsible jeweler? Lisa answers this question in Jewelers' Circular Keystone, the leading trade magazine in the industry.  The September 2011 issue puts the spotlight on Krikawa Jewelry as one of four innovative retailers in the country.

To learn more about environmentally sustainable and ethically responsible practices in the jewelry industry, read the full interview with Lisa.

EARTHWORKS

Krikawa was pleased to present EARTHWORKS with a check for over $8000 as part of our One Percent for the Planet commitment. EARTHWORKS is a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting communities and the environment from the destructive impacts of mineral development, in the U.S. and worldwide. EARTHWORKS stands for clean water, healthy communities and corporate accountability.

"We need a watchdog to protect the earth's resources and communities from mining, drilling and digging -- EARTHWORKS is that watchdog. And EARTHWORKS gets results." --Mike McCloskey, founder

No Dirty Gold Campaign

Krikawa is proud to be a retailer who supports the No Dirty Gold Golden Rules. Just over 50 retailers have taken the first step towards more responsible sourcing of gold by declaring their support for the Golden Rules. These Rules represent social, environmental, and human rights criteria for more responsible gold production. The No Dirty Gold campaign encourages these retailers to now actively pursue "cleaner" sources of gold and to demonstrate that they are meeting their sourcing commitment.

Fair Trade Gems from Columbia Gem House

Krikawa is proud to list Columbia Gem House as a preferred vendor. Our close association with Columbia Gem House insures that every Krikawa customer has the opportunity to purchase gems with a clear conscience.

Columbia Gem House offers an exceptional variety of natural colored gemstones while strictly adhering to The Quality Assurance and Fair Trade Gems Protocols. Fair Trade Gems are closely tracked from mine to market to ensure that every gem has been handled according to strict protocols. The protocols include environmental protection, fair labor practices at the cutting and jewelry factories, and a tight chain of custody that eliminates the possibility of treated gems or synthetics being introduced into the supply chain. The program also includes promotion of cultural diversity, and public education and accountability. Learn more about CGH's fair trade gems protocals by visiting their subsidiary company's website, Fair Trade Gems.

Council for Responsible Jewellery Practices

Krikawa is a member of Council for Responsible Jewellery Practices.  The Responsible Jewellery Council is an international not-for-profit organization representing over 80 member companies across the gold and diamond jewellery supply chain.

RJC Members are committed to promoting responsible ethical, human rights, social and environmental practices in a transparent and accountable manner throughout the industry from mine to retail. Their commitment aims to reinforce consumer and stakeholder confidence in diamond and gold jewellery products.

Conflict Free Polar Bear Diamonds from Canada

It is not enough anymore to talk simply about the 4 C's when choosing a diamond. At Krikawa, we make every diamond purchase with clear conscience: our vendors are carefully selected to maintain the highest ethics in diamond purchasing.

We are an authorized distributor of Polar Bear Diamonds, direct from Canada, with all of their diamonds certified as "conflict free".  Each Polar Bear diamond is inscribed with the image of a Polar Bear, located on its girdle. All Polar Bear diamonds are Government certified 100% Canadian in origin and are certified by an independent laboratory. Krikawa Jewelry Designs is the only retailer in Arizona to offer Polar Bear diamonds.

JCK Fair Trade Conference, Las Vegas, 2008

JCK Las Vegas is the most comprehensive jewelry gathering in North America. With both conference and trade show components, the show had over 3100 exhibitors and more than 40 seminars. With the attending of the DIVA awards as our guise, (we won first place for Platinum Wedding Set) Lisa, Jackie, and Susan spent six days in Vegas getting their fill of the industry.

Fair Trade and Fair Made Jewelry was the hot topic at the conference with industry veterans saying the discussions about fair trade were 50 times more this year than last year. While numerous seminars focused on Fair Trade, it was the 3rd Annual Rapaport Fair Trade Jewelery Conference, organized by the Rapaport Group, that was the most comprehensive. Panelists discussed topics such as a need for transparency in establishing links within the supply chain and their personal work on development projects in numerous digging and manufacturing centers. The Rapaport Group should be commended in getting an impressive array of industry leaders together. Included were Sue Saarnio, US State Department who spoke on the current state of the Kimberley Process, Peggy Jo Donahue of Jewelers of America who gave an overview of the Madison Dialogue, and John Hall of Rio Tinto Diamonds on Rio Tinto's relationship with the Council for Responsible Jewellery Practices.