Ethical Gemstones

Many of the ethical issues afflicting the diamond industry, such as armed conflict, worker exploitation, and environmental damage, also blight the trade in coloured gemstones.

Fortunately, at Ingle & Rhode we have found traceable ethical sources for almost all types of coloured gemstones.

For example, we are able to supply rubies and sapphires that are mined by small-scale cooperatives in Madagascar and Tanzania respectively. This means the wealth generated by mining is directly retained by the local communities.

We also have ethical sources for a wide range of other coloured gemstones, including emerald, pearl, garnet, tanzanite, opal, topaz, peridot, amethyst, aquamarine, citrine, and tourmaline.

Many of our gemstones are cut and polished at the Surat Diamond Workers Cooperative in Gujarat, India. Here, wages are calculated on fairtrade principles, and employees are entitled to paid holiday, sick leave, and maternity leave.

We are also able to source ‘cultured’ fancy-coloured diamonds, available in blue, pink and yellow.  These are produced in the US and cut in South Africa, and are real diamonds, chemically and physically identical to mined diamonds, but created in a laboratory.