Pixy.... merry meet, can you tell me more about the term 'reclaimed' silver? If it is PMC then I am very much involved with it and would be willing to help in what ever way I can.

BB, Sheila

Hi Pixy,

I'm one of three co-founders of a group called Ethical Metalsmiths (www.ethicalmetalsmiths.org). Your post raises some great questions and I'm glad to hear that you're interested in ethical sourcing. The precious metals we all use are often re-refined from scrap these days, but you may be aware that virgin silver is a product of the primary mining of gold, copper and other metals. As much as it hurts to admit it, gold mining is still one of the most wasteful, toxic industries around. The mining of any mineral (metals, stones) can be done responsibly or haphazardly, depending on the miner. Recycled metals is a good alternative, but that's already done to one degree or another. Precious metals are rarely wasted. Because of the structure of the industry, it is difficult to nearly impossible to find 100 percent recycled metals unless you do it yourself through batch studio refining, which is often not very efficient and can require toxic chemicals. One thing that our organization is working on now with a wide variety of stakeholders is an industry-wide labeling system that will help metalsmiths and consumers identify the sources of the materials in a piece. There's a real need for this because many consumers are asking questions and jewelers are making claims, but without a standard that people (including nonprofits) can agree to and third-party labeling, there's no way for people to measure and verify claims. This includes claims about "fair trade" products, which is why we are hosting an event in October to address needs in the area of small-scale mining and production. See www.madisondialogue.org, right margin. There are several other initiatives underway that we're hopefull will produce real results, even if it takes some time. Three fair trade certification bodies are exploring FT standards for gold, diamonds and gemstones - both the production and the fabrication. There have been pilot projects, but generally the costs are prohibitive for small-scale jewelers who hope to make a business out of it. Our approach is that we would like to band together to explore pilot projects as a group of metalsmiths so we can create an economy of scale and support other NGOs working in the field.

Any effort to improve the status quo is great and I encourage you to become involved in ongoing efforts of this sort. Feel free to contact me directly if you'd like more info.

Jennifer

i see this is an ancient post, but if you are still looking for some one to donate- within your parameters, i would be happy to donate a piece or two... or three, depending on the price range you'd like.
i'll send you a message as well.
to comment on the above/below responses to the "environmentally friendly"ness of jewelry making. have no illusions. it is awful. there really is no way around it. on the other hand i believe in the singular artist making singular work. mass production of crap jewelry has contributed to some of the worlds worst environmental and social catastrophes.
alas i love my hammers...
still dealing with the reconciliation.