Ethical Policy – April Doubleday

April Doubleday’s vision for her company is to strive for complete transparency throughout her business. This transparency stretches from her sourcing of precious metals suppliers and gem stones to the design process with clients. April is committed to ensuring she uses suppliers that have social and environmentally responsible business practices.

April only uses ethically sourced precious metal in her jewellery. The gold is mined in accordance with independent standards. By choosing to source her materials in this way April can be sure that they have been traded in an ethical manner. This means April is looking for:

• Transparency & traceability in the supply chain
• Progressive environmental responsibility – management of toxic substances
• Greater access to mineral wealth for miners
• The minimum price limits exploitation by disreputable traders and companies
• Improved gender equality for women
• Elimination of child labour
• Standards for labour conditions
• Health and safety improvements
• Premium payments direct to communities for their development priorities

It is very important that effective social and environmental practices are put in place. Such practices empower people in marginalised places in the world and keep environmental issues at centre stage. In order to achieve her aims the precious metal in April’s jewellery is sourced through one or more of the following schemes.

Certification

Fairtrade and Ecological Gold

Gold certified to Fairtrade Standards, provide small-scale miners and their communities in low-income countries the opportunity for better living and working conditions. The Fairtrade Gold and Platinum April uses is Certified Fairtrade or Ecological. Achieving this means miners:

Receive a guaranteed Fairtrade Minimum Price: this is set at 95% of the London Bullion Market Association’s (LBMA) fixing for gold, which is substantially higher than the price many marginalised miners receive.
Receive a Fairtrade Premium payment, which is democratically reinvested in community projects and improving miners’ operations. This is calculated as US$2000 per kg of fine gold. For Ecological Gold (gold extracted without the use of chemicals) this is calculated as 15% of the applicable LBMA fixing.
Develop long term business relations with their commercial partners, giving the miners financial security. To fulfil the Fairtrade Standard means that certified miners need to:
Develop democratic and accountable organisations and formalise all their operations.
Are protected through the mandatory use of protective gear and safe use of toxic chemicals, such as mercury and cyanide, used in the gold recovery process.
Are respectful of their environment when mining, for example they must protect and restore the local eco-systems, including managing water pollution.
Recognise the rights of women miners.
Work to eliminate child labour.

Organisations are audited by the independent, international certification body FLO-CERT to ensure they are complying with the Standards.

To find out more about the Fairtrade organisation go to: http://www.fairtrade.org.uk

Fairmined

Fairmined Gold

April is licensed to use the Fairmined mark, through her commitment to incorporate Fairmined certified gold into her Jewellery, Engagement, Wedding, and Eternity rings.

Fairmined transforms mining into an active force for good, ensuring social development and environmental protection. Through April supporting the Fairmined organisation she is:

Ensuring no link to conflict situations
Ensuring no link to child labour
Creating safer and more stable jobs
Promoting gender equality
Promoting wellbeing in the community
Rewarding enterprise Environmental protection
Supporting small scale mining
Ensuring safe handling, reducing the use of chemicals
Protecting water supplies
Ensuring a positive environmental legacy

To find out more about the Fairmined organisation goto: http://www.fairmined.org

Jeweltree Foundation

April Doubleday is a proud supporter and sponsor of the Jeweltree Foundation since its inception in 2008.

Jeweltree is committed to providing a traceable diamond product. With a Jeweltree certificate you can find out where your diamond was mined and under which conditions it was polished.

Jeweltree is also committed to assisting the communities of gem and diamond mining areas.

As a consumer you can be assured that a percentage of your purchase will go to serving this foundation.

Ethical Luxury – Mine to finger transparency

The Jeweltree Foundation guarantees supply chain transparency, social responsibility, ecological sustainability and community support. There should be no negative energy of suppression or misuse of people or environment attached to your jewellery and we make it our mission to guarantee that the diamonds, gems and jewellery we certify are extracted safely, manufactured under fair labour conditions and in total freedom. Because that is what a symbol of love and light should be: FREE!
www.jeweltreefoundation.org

Rubyfair

Rubyfair is a partnership between British Jewellers and Tanzanian Miners in which both the miners’ welfare and the ecology of the land are considered. Rubyfair takes the welfare of its workers seriously and safety equipment and procedures are strictly adhered to. Improvements to roads have led to better access to remote villages. Rubyfair is proud to support the local community by sponsoring the Ukwama Children’s Home and Orphanage. For more information go to www.rubyfair.com

Silver

April uses 100% recycled silver wherever possible.

Conflict Free Diamonds

The diamonds April uses are sourced at present from Canada from the Diavik mine and Australia Argyle mine. The supply chain is socially and environmentally transparent; the diamonds can be traced to their origin, the mine and cutting centre can be named and the labour practices checked. Part of the profit from the diamonds gets pumped back into the Jeweltree Foundation to support further initiatives.

Ethical Policy