I have a question about Sustainable mining!!

No offense to anyone..!

Some of my customers are asking about third-party certification and whether my gems are ethically and sustainably sourced. I know their concerns and they have the right to ask about them.. but are we sustainable enough in our lives… I.e. the food that we are eating, the clothes that we wear, the cars that we drive… have we thought of the life cycle of each and everything? Have we ever done a cost-benefit analysis??

Coming into the Gemstone industry…

Most of the gem dealers are from underdeveloped countries. These countries are rich enough to have a peaceful and happy life for their countrymen. But mostly these countries are “resource curse “ and you know why they are still struggling for their existence. Sorry to mention but it’s because of the imperialistic approach of the West in the past and unfortunately still going on.

Let me give you the example of our country Afghanistan,

Have you ever asked the person that you voted for, Why your policy is taking hundreds of lives every day? Have you ever asked why they are supporting terror organizations and helping them to be in power? Which in turn don’t care about the people and are exploiting the lands of others for their selfish interest? Have you ever asked that they are buying from those terrorists and warlords the raw materials which in turn are used in different industries in your country, including Gemstones? Have you ever asked the big companies that are showing themselves as environmentally friendly how they are exploiting the raw materials?  On one hand, they are claiming that they are ethically sourced and against child labor but in contrast, they are supporting corrupt warlords and politicians which are the main cause of child labor. Please don’t be misled by the advertisement but instead, ask about the ground reality from locals.

What if I buy and support local artisanal miners and small-scale miners, who even don’t have enough food to feed their children? Who doesn’t have access to basic human rights? Who doesn’t have any sources of income if we don’t buy from them? Who don’t have the technical tools which in turn impact the environment and people surrounding them but just hand tools which have zero impact on the environment!

Unfortunately, we are just looking for labels but not realizing the fundamental reality and the efforts that people are making even for their existence.

Gems dealers or brokers like me are mostly from Afghanistan and Pakistan. They are not making millions. We all are struggling to have a balanced life as you have. Most of the guys in the present-day online business are young. Mostly they are from Afghanistan and our parents have migrated to Pakistan because of the ongoing war. Most of us don’t have our own houses, cars, or other jobs as the unemployment rate is quite high in our countries.

So what’s wrong if you are supporting a young person whose only aim is to support his family?

I think it would be better if we lean our attention to this Side also.