Voting Is Open for the Fairmined 100 Challenge’s Best Collection
The winners, picked by a group of judges and voted as the public’s favorite, will be announced in a webinar on Oct. 11.
The Alliance for Responsible Mining’s Fairmined initiative launched the project last year, inviting brands involved in the gold industry to “strengthen their commitment to sustainability” by using Fairmined metals.
Fairmined is an assurance label that certifies gold from small-scale mining organizations that prioritize responsible practices.
To be Fairmined certified, ASM organizations must comply with environmental requirements that eliminate mercury and other chemicals from their mining operations or reduce its usage to a bare minimum that won’t lead to pollution of water sources.
Fairmined certification also allows the miners to give back to the communities through infrastructure, gender equity projects, healthcare, and child and youth programs, and a guaranteed minimum price for their gold, ARM said.
The goal of the challenge was 100 Fairmined collections by this Aug. 31, which was not only reached but surpassed—there are 127 collections from 97 brands.
For 47 of those brands, it was their first collection using Fairmined metals.
“This commemoration of creativity and commitment to supporting the positive transformation of the artisanal and small-scale mining communities brought together Fairmined licensed brands, authorized suppliers, certified mining organizations, retailers, promoters, and allies to achieve and exceed the initial goal to launch 100 collections,” said Laura Galvis, market development specialist at ARM.
The collections were presented together for the first time on Sept. 16 in a digital catalog.
An all-female panel of judges will select the best collections among seven categories: Solid Gold, Silver, Gold Plated, Diamonds, Colored Gemstones, Groundbreaking Innovation, and Sustainability Story.
Organizers have also added another category—the Public’s Favorite—and have opened the voting to everyone to pick theirs. Full collections information and voting can all be found online.
The judges’ selections and the winner of the public vote will be unveiled during a webinar hosted by ARM on Oct. 11.
The Latest
Step inside the nearly 21,000-square-foot suburban Chicago jewelry store with Editor-in-Chief Michelle Graff.
These punk-inspired earrings from the new Canadian brand’s debut collection reveal the alter ego of the classic pearl.
The company brings its nanotechnology to two new fancy cuts for diamonds that feature its signature color and brilliance.
From protecting customer data to safeguarding inventory records, it's crucial to learn how to tackle cybersecurity challenges.
Sponsored by Tasha R
Three Titanic survivors presented him with the personalized Tiffany & Co. timepiece about a year after the tragedy.
A federal court found that the jewelry store chain violated terms of the settlement reached after it was accused of defrauding customers.
This fall, sharpen your skills in jewelry grading, quality control and diamond assessment.
Cynthia Erivo chose Dreams of Hope, an organization dedicated to empowering LGBTQA+ youth, as the charity for this year’s collection.
The new space was designed to evoke a warm, inviting vibe.
Kinney, who spent nearly 30 years at IJO, has been hired to head Abbott Jewelry Systems’ new virtual marketplace.
The auction house was accused of helping clients avoid paying taxes on millions of dollars’ worth of art purchased from 2010 to 2020.
The four finalists will present their pieces at the 2025 JCK Las Vegas show.
The “Camera Oscura” collection showcases earring designs celebrating female Surrealist artists Claude Cahun and Leonor Fini.
The event centered on advancing jewelry manufacturing technology will return to Detroit in May 2025.
Local reports identified the woman as the wife of the jewelry store owner.
A collection of pieces owned by Ferdinand I, the first king of modern Bulgaria, and his family, blew away estimates in Geneva last week.
The Australian jewelry box brand’s new West Village store will showcase new jewelers each month through its Designer in Residence program.
“Lovechild” was created in partnership with Carolyn Rafaelian’s Metal Alchemist brand.
Hampton discussed how Helzberg is improving the customer experience and why it was inspired by the company formerly known as Dunkin’ Donuts.
The collection honors the 50th anniversary of Dolly Parton’s “Love is Like a Butterfly” song, which shares a birth year with Kendra Scott.
This year’s theme asks designers to take inspiration from classic fairy tales.
Senior Editor Lenore Fedow makes the case for why more jewelers should be appealing to nerds at the annual event.
The latest “Raiz’in” drop showcases a newly designed “Scapular” necklace and donates a portion of the proceeds to Make-A-Wish France.
No. 1 out of 100, the timepiece was created to mark Citizen’s 100th anniversary and will be auctioned off at Sotheby’s next month.
On the latest episode of “My Next Question,” two experts share best practices for store security during the holidays and year-round.
Sotheby’s sold the necklace, which potentially has ties to Marie-Antoinette, for $4.8 million to a woman bidding via phone.