What to know about… GARNET and supporting SDGs!
GARNET and garnet jewelry designed by women!
Let’s talk about this incredibly charismatic gemstone and the reasons why it is special!
It has been significant across cultures for thousands of years. Legend has it, Noah illuminated his arc with a glowing garnet for 40 dark days and nights. Ancient Egyptians placed it next to wounds to expedite healing.
The word Garnet is from the Latin word ‘granum’ meaning seedlike - referencing the crystal’s roundness and the red hue of pomegranate seeds.
But garnet can occur in every color of the rainbow! They are also known to exhibit the widest variety of color change hues among all gemstones.
The rarest and most valuable is the demantoid garnet. Would you like to guess why it’s valuable? It’s inclusions!
Together with Gem Broker, we’ve outlined things to know via The Skinny on Garnet.
You’ll also be seeing thoughtfully designed jewelry by Thesis Gems, Debra Navarro, and Zaffiro Jewelry to name a few!
Interested in sourcing a gemstone or garnet jewelry designed by women? DM me!
You can SHOP an array of memorable garnet jewelry right HERE!
SHOP:
GARNET
The FINE JEWELRY YOU CHOOSE can align with CLIMATE ACTION
As we all seek peace and prosperity for people and the planet, small actions can collectively create big change. Just as we know where our food comes from and who made our clothes, we can also be empowered to ask the “who”, “where”, and “how” about our jewelry.
Along these lines, the United Nations has outlined 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) that call the 193 United Nations member countries (both developed and developing) to urgently take action to “end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity”.
Your RESPONSIBLY SOURCED jewelry purchases can positively impact remote mining communities, as well as choosing post-consumer recycled gemstones.
SDG 5: Gender Equality and Women Artisanal Miners
An important distinction about artisanal miners is they are often farmers in remote areas with limited natural resources. These families mine part-time using simple tools: hands, pickaxes, shovels, and sometimes compressors.
Think of artisanal miners as entrepreneurs - some of which are women, such as Esther and Beatrice who run the Precious Women Mine in Mkuki, Kenya!
SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure and Fairmined Gold
Fairmined is an assurance label certifying that gold is from empowered, responsible artisanal mining organizations.
This means mercury-free gold with clarity about the traceable origins and mining conditions - ensuring environmental protection as well as sustainable economic and social development.
WHAT DOES RESPONSIBLY SOURCED JEWELRY MEAN?
The jewelry you discover here is discerning because of the unique design signature and the careful consideration of the materials selected.
The words “sustainable”, “eco”, and “ethical” jewelry are often loosely thrown around.
RESPONSIBLY SOURCED is a MORE MEANINGFUL GOAL because it encompasses conflict-free, traceability, protecting people, their skills, and the environment be it land or sea.
This is an open, evolving conversation worth having, as we all seek to make choices that align with our values.
The designers whose fine jewelry is available on All The Brilliants practice responsible sourcing in different degrees and different ways that support the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Gemstones can be responsibly sourced or post-consumer recycled (recovered from previously worn jewelry to be reset in a new design).
For precious metals, this can mean using recycled gold - or a step further is traceable mercury-free Fairmined gold.
An ongoing initiative worth following is the Jewelry Glossary Project.
The purpose is to create shared definitions of key terms within the jewelry industry for use by the trade and the public. The project was launched to increase transparency throughout the supply chain, by building consensus on definitions for key terms and creating accountability for their usage.