CRED: The fair trade jeweller
CRED are the pioneering Fairtrade and Fairmined retail jeweller in Europe. So not only are our pieces designed to look wonderful, but every sale helps build a new life for the communities that provide us with the raw materials. »
What is fair trade Jewellery?
I suppose it is a bit like Fairtrade coffee and Fairtrade bananas. Except those farmers don’t have to go deep underground in sweltering temperatures to find their produce.
Gold miners do. They invariably work in dark, dirty, tough conditions. Often for owners who take maximum advantage.
Fairtrade and Fairmined gold takes no advantage. Quite the reverse.
We put money back into the mining community. They can choose to use it for necessities like sanitation, power, schools,education. Or looking after the ecology. Things that we take for granted, but that mining communities aspire to.
And that’s why, at the risk of sounding slightly sanctimonious, we think that Fairtrade and Fairmined gold is so important.
And why we pioneered working with small scale miners as far back as 2002.
Why bother?
Because our small and very local miners benefit. They receive a fair price plus a further 10% premium for community re-investment. That means that,for example, in the mining areas of San Filomena, Peru, we have been directly responsible for bringing improved health, sanitation and education to their isolated community high up in the Andes.
Why buy from CRED?
The simple answer is because we are really good at what we do. Unlike other businesses, we make decisions based on more than just profit.
We were the first European retailer to sell Fairtrade and Fairmined gold and have been at the forefront of initiatives to develop labelling and accreditation ever since.
Much more to the point, we have outstanding designs, an affordable range and a deep commitment to getting it right for you.
Added to which, our unique blend of 18ct white gold has a higher than normal palladium content. That’s good because it gives the same classic colour but without the need for Rhodium plating (which is a kind of protective veneer). And secondly because it means our white gold won’t lose it shine or indeed change colour.
So when you buy your jewellery from CRED you not only look good but you feel good.
By the way, we did launch the world’s first fair trade wedding ring. It went down an absolute storm, still does. Brides love it.
Transparency
If you sell ethical, you have to be even more ethical! We promise to always tell you about the provenance, history, the plusses and the minusses of every piece of CRED jewellery. We are committed to integrity to you, to our producers and to our sources.
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