This Mother’s Day, Say No to Dirty Gold

Jewelry is a popular gift for Mothers Day. If you are considering a gift of gold this Sunday, May 8, be sure to purchase it from a retailer who has signed Earthwork’s No Dirty Gold campaign’s pledge to not sell dirty gold. 

What is dirty gold?

Gold mining has negative environmental, social and human rights issues. Mining creates harmful pollution to air, land and water resources. Indigenous populations and women are disproportionately affected by the mining industry. Mineworkers work in unsafe conditions.

How you can help

• Read about Earthwork’s “Golden Rules”, a document making the case for responsible mining, created in partnership with OXFAM.
• Purchase your gold pieces from retailers who have agreed to follow the “Golden Rules.” Be aware that retailers who have made this promise self-report their data.
• Purchase antique jewelry.
• Sell your jewelry or have it melted down and refabricated. 
• Encourage retailers to sign the pledge. 

Other ways to purchase socially just gifts this Mother’s Day

• Ethically purchase gemstones by buying antique jewelry and synthetic stones, which are cultured or grown stones with same physical, chemical and optical characteristics as their natural counterparts. Visit www.fairtradegems.org and www.fairjewelry.org for more options.
• Purchase flowers from retailers who provide fair-trade and organic flowers to ensure you are supporting human and environmental rights. You can buy flowers from Fair Trade USA. One World Flowers also delivers fair-trade bouquets. 1-800-Flowers has launched a fair-trade line of bouquets called the Planet Friendly Smile Collection.
• Buy fair-trade gifts or make a gift.