Thanks for taking the time to read this. I know we’re all busy so I’ll get straight to the point.
It’s about time.
Five years, to be precise.
You’ve probably noticed that the founders of the Gemstones and Jewellery Community Platform (GJCP) are major iconic jewellery brands and corporate gem mining companies. What you might not be aware of is the time the senior people within these brands have given to this initiative, along with their passion and dedication. Over the past five years, they’ve contributed to, debated, reflected upon and listened to the discussions around how to broach and tackle the responsible sourcing of coloured gems – discussions that have produced real results.
It’s been amazing to see. I don’t know about you, but I’ve witnessed hundreds of instances of corporations allocating budget to CSR projects. They’re well-meaning initiatives and some succeed. Many more don’t.
Those that succeed, at least in my 20 years’ experience, do so because they have something special. They’ve been given the most sought-after resource of all. Time.
The founding members of the GJCP have astonished me with the commitment, integrity, grace and diplomacy that they’ve shown in coming together to voluntarily establish this initiative.
They’ve spent hours and days listening to difficult subjects from stakeholders, reflecting on learnings and making discreet field trips to challenging locations. They’ve taken in their stride the mutual accountability and expectation that this initiative demanded. And they’ve stuck to its original goals – to be inclusive for all, accessible to all and produce tangible results.
For the founding group, this was never about being proprietary, never about promoting their agenda or seeking reward. That’s why they have developed this site and will be freely sharing the tools and resources on the learning Platform, coming next month.
Please do take time to look around the website, get to know the initiative and find out more for yourself. You can also pre-register for the Platform to make sure you’re notified when it goes live.
All the tools and resources are designed to be accessed by everyone in the gemstone and jewellery supply chain, scaled from individuals and micro-enterprises and suitable for each activity such as mining, polishing, trading and jewellery making.
This new Platform is not the final destination – it’s just the beginning. It represents an opportunity for us to reach out, invite participation and review the responsible sourcing journey so far.
It’s time for us all to come together and collaborate; to make positive changes for the future of our vibrant industry and all those who depend upon it. If you’re in the gemstone and jewellery industry, we’d love you to join us.