The No Dirty Gold Campaign has been hard at work getting jewelers to use sustainable, eco-friendly jewelry production methods. I was just amazed to see that over 70 jewelers have pledged not to use dirty gold acquired through destructive mining techniques. 

The campaign has since launched another project called the Bristol Bay Protection Pledge. This project focuses on getting jewelers to endorse protecting the world’s largest wild sockeye salmon fishery left in the world, located in Bristol Bay, Alaska. After the organization ran a campaign to get Zales to sign on—and thousands of people like you and me took action asking the company to pledge their support—more and more jewelers are joining the campaign. Eleven more recently signed onto the pledge, further growing the mining and jewelry industries that do care about the environment—or, at least, that their buyers care about the environment!

Please take a moment to thank these jewelers for not sourcing the Pebble Mines for their gold. Pebble Mines are at the headwaters of Bristol Bay, and mining in this location would destroy both the sockeye salmon and their habitat. Some of the signers include Michaels Jewlers, Ingle & Rhode, Blair Lauren Brown, CRED Jewellery, Alberto Parada, Open Source Minerals, Toby Pomeroy, Reflective Images, Security Jewelers, and Fair Trade in Gems and Jewelry. You can send them a letter thanking them for their support—as well as check out more campaigns and awesome works done by the No Dirty Gold Campaign—here.

Personally, I don’t buy jewelry—well, not the expensive stuff, anyway. Once in a while I still go for that pewter stuff I was into in junior high when I run across it, which isn’t very often these days. But if I know a company is striving to attain better business practices, more sustainable ways of extracting minerals, not supporting conflict gems, and generally working on being better for the people and the planet, I would definitely be more likely to spend my money on their products for other people—my mother, for example.

I hope that you feel the same way. Please be sure to also check each retailer or jewelry shop before making such a big purchase (or even a small one). You vote every time you spend a dollar; in fact, dollar signs are the only language that many businesses speak. Once you take that away from them, they have no choice but to close up shop—or open up to sustainable possibilities. The next time you open your wallet, be sure it’s to buy fair trade, environmentally-friendly products—jewelry included.