[Jewelry making - Article 00075] - Re: [Orchid] Dirty gold, Conflict diamonds - Global Ethics?

[John Donivan]

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    This discussion is going to be eternal, because there are no
    answers. My 2c though... "dirty gold" and conflict diamonds are a
    "Much Wringing of Hands" issue. I sold a black opal that I knew from
    provenance was mined in the late 1800's. It did not have a label on
    it saying it was old, and it lookied like it was mined yesterday.
    How would you know if someone was killed to get it? You wouldn't, and
    you can't. Your engagement ring might have a stone from yesterday, or
    it might be from 1940, recut. How would you know? You can't. Even
    more so with gold, which, like currency, is constantly being
    circulated, remelted, and blended together with all the other gold in
    the world. This is not to suggest that the politics of all precious
    things (oil!) is unimportant, but that is politics, and world
    politics at that. We, as Americans, don't get to walk into <snip> and
    tell them how to run their country. I am the eternal optimist, and
    believe that the world will gradually become that place where
    everything is wonderful and fine. But aside from political lobbying
    and voting, I also believe that the best we really can do is to live
    that ideal as best we can ourselves. But people who are all concerned
    about Conflict Diamonds probably just shouldn't buy diamonds, because
    there IS no way to tell. 

http://www.donivanandmaggiora.com
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