U.S. Dept. of State Calls for Greater Jewelry Supply Control

Barbra Voltaire, FGG · **Posted:** Fri Aug 09, 2019 4:13 pm

Rob Bates for JCK wrote:

U.S. Department of State Calls for Greater Jewelry Supply Controls
During a conference held yesterday at the U.S. Department of State, government officials stressed that all members of the jewelry industry need to get a better handle on their supply chains, sources told JCK.
Some attendees expressed considerable nervousness prior to the conference, in light of an April meeting with Department of State officials that struck some as threatening, with cryptic warnings of executive orders and a coming crackdown.
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OliVDB5590 · **Joined:** Mon Oct 14, 2019 10:46 am **Posts:** 14

Well, it isn't a bad thing by itself. It's already difficult in the world of gems and precious metals to avoid unethical sources like those using child labor in Africa, but then, if the importers and manufacturers themselves don't do any real effort to ensure that they're buying from trusted sources, it's time for the government to act...

Barbra Voltaire, FGG · **Posted:** Fri Oct 18, 2019 3:58 pm

Of course in an ideal world this would already be the reality.
IMO, never gonna happen.

1bwana1 · **Joined:** Thu May 12, 2016 2:18 am **Posts:** 1107

If this gets too restrictive it will damage the artisanal miners who will never be able to provide the required paperwork. However, the artisanal miners have the best opportunity to improve their life. Far better than the miners employed by the big mining companies that have the resources to comply with regulation.

So, why doesn't this kind of thinking apply to smart phones. These require a mineral called Coltan which almost exclusively come from the Goma area of Eastern Congo. There has been an ongoing war there for control of the sources. It is estimated that more people have been killed in this war than any war since WWII. Yet, you never hear about it because the high tech industry that depend on Coltan is powerful. What if there was a requirement for proving non conflict source for the resources to build smart phones, computers and other electronics. Are we all prepared to give up out technology?

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