An important change is taking place within the jewellery industry – and thankfully things are never going to be the same again.
Throughout the world good people (like you) are quite rightly asking the companies they deal with to look carefully at how they do business to ensure they operate in an ethical, responsible and sustainable way.
We know our friends and clients love to look good wearing Julia’s fine jewellery. That makes us very proud.
But we’ve always also understood that they want to feel good too - knowing their jewellery is made using conflict-free gemstones set in precious metals responsibly sourced from ethical suppliers who are totally committed to protecting the environment as well as supporting their workers and local communities.
Following her father’s near-fatal mining accident when Julia was a child, he received expert care and rehabilitation from a forward thinking mine owner who insisted on putting people above profits.
This exemplary care was also extended to Julia and her family, ensuring the wolf was kept from the door during the many difficult years ahead.
This support from the mine owner, fast acting medics and the wider African mining community literally saved her father’s life – leaving an indelible imprint on the soul of the young Julia Pharo.
That’s why ethical, sustainable and responsibly sourced gems and precious metals have always been at the heart of every piece of jewellery made by Julia Pharo.
She simply couldn’t work any other way.
No one can deny that the jewellery industry hasn’t always enjoyed a good reputation, with the irresponsible activities of an unscrupulous minority tarnishing an entire industry.
In truth, the vast majority of people involved with the trade want to do the right thing and, in recent years, it’s heartening to see those who prefer to operate within the murky waters of questionable practices become increasingly ostracised by the wider industry.
Big companies manufacturing mass produced jewellery may enjoy certain economies of scale but when it comes to building relationships and trust, we believe nothing beats bespoke – the personal accountability of a traditional bench jeweller working one-to-one with their clients and trusted suppliers.
It’s our dream to one day know the precise origin of every gemstone we use in our jewellery. To know that every gram of precious metal Julia forms and shapes at her bench has been fairly traded or comes from recycled, sustainable sources.
And we are getting closer to that ambitious goal every single day.
We're proud to say that we now only work with 100% recycled gold and sustainably sourced platinum in our jewellery designs.
Our conflict-free diamonds and gemstones are sourced from a small number of trusted suppliers dealing with mines who refuse to employ child labour and pay their adult workers a fair living wage - and who are committed to ethical, sustainable mining practices that protect the environment
By combining ethics and accountability with amazing new developments in blockchain technology, those at the forefront of ethical sourcing are now making huge strides towards achieving mine-to-market accountability for both gemstones and precious metals.
For eco-conscious jewellers everywhere, the real change that is taking place across vast sectors of our industry is hugely exciting.
It’s Julia’s hope that eventually every jeweller will feel the same way as her.
The jewellery world isn’t the fastest at embracing change.
Despite the remarkable recent progress that has been made, there’s still a lot more to do and the industry is terribly late to the table.
But thankfully, there are enough like-minded jewellers and consumers who are continuing to speak up for change and together we’ll make a difference to the lives and livelihoods of artisanal miners and their families, creating a sustainable future for them and for our planet.