How do you handle traceability?
I source sapphires from all over the world, but in most overseas countries, origin is not that reliable – sometimes markets in Sri Lanka will have Sri Lankan and Madagascar rough sapphires all mixed together. People are so invested in this idea of origin, but the truth is, unless you pulled it out of the ground yourself, you can never be 100% sure. Stones get mixed up along the way, and many stones are indistinguishable from each other. Even labs that say they can distinguish – you can take the same stone to three different labs and get three different origins.
Having said that, I have a few suppliers that own their own mines and lapidaries – they dig the rough out of the ground, they cut it, and I buy it directly from them. This is the most traceable option from these regions.
Other stones I buy from dealers who source locally from known mines and then I purchase from them and have the stones cut. We have a great level of trust with our suppliers and we hope we’re getting what they say they’re giving us. Long-standing relationships are a way to ensure that, but again, there’s no guarantee.
When you’re sourcing overseas, there’s an ethical responsibility to speak to that uncertainty – to say “to the best of my knowledge, this is where it comes from”, rather than stating definites that you can’t guarantee. For me, ethics is also about treating my suppliers well, asking questions, being truthful and transparent, and never making promises or claims that I can’t verify.
What does ethical sourcing look like in Sri Lanka & Madagascar?
Part of the conversation that people don’t want to talk about – these are families and real people mining these stones and they’re relying on that income to survive. Ethical sourcing to me is about supporting the local economy and ensuring (to the best of your knowledge) that no individuals are being harmed in the mining of sapphires.
Overall, sapphires are not high-conflict stones – they’re mined locally and they support the local economy of those source regions. I try to keep the wealth in Sri Lanka by buying the stones and having them cut there. Doing as much processing within the source countries helps to maintain the most value within that source country.
I have long-standing relationships with my suppliers and it’s important to me to support these small, local vendors. Especially for some of my overseas vendors, mining is their livelihood so I try to keep a consistent flow of business going their way.
