Pearls of Wisdom (or not)

Recently, a gemstone supplier offered five free strands of cultured pearls as a promotional incentive to any of their customers purchasing a wholesale order. Pearls are literally so cheap these days that people are giving them away. Which means that finding a jewelry designer who doesn't use them, and use them often, is as rare as the pearls themselves used to be.

Most people know that pearls, including mother of pearl and other shells, are an animal product. From a vegetarian or cruelty-free perspective pearls are a no-go. But they're also a dubious proposition from an environmental perspective. While pearl farming is generally considered less environmentally destructive than other forms of aquaculture, there are still concerns regarding over-harvesting leading to species depletion and disruption of aquatic ecologies.

For an interesting article on the near-extinction of a mussel species in my own state of Minnesota --- where a pearl valued at $65,000 was harvested in 1902 ---- read this: (the relevant article is on page 16 of the pdf)

http://www.pca.state.mn.us/about/pubs/mnereport/part_4.pdf

For more general information:

It may not have the luster of pearls, but snow jade is an interesting stone in its own right.

Coral grows at a rate of .4 to 4 inches per year. Growing a coral reef takes hundreds or even thousands of years. Destroying them, sadly, happens a lot faster. Some say that coral can be harvested sustainably --- of course that would mean discontinuing practices such as large-scale cyanide poisoning of reef habitats. Others argue that, with environmental degradation, disease, and other threats, the global coral population cannot successfully withstand the additional stress of harvesting.

In any case, coral, like pearl, is an animal product that cannot be considered cruelty-free or vegetarian. Also like pearl its low price does not reflect its high environmental and ethical cost. Third, again like pearl, coral is a uniquely beautiful material; combined with its cheap availability that makes it a very popular choice with jewelry designers.

http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2005/jun10-05.html

http://www.american.edu/ted/coral.htm

http://coralreefs.nbii.gov/portal/server.pt

http://www.issues.org/17.1/bruckner.htm

http://www.coralcay.org/archives/2002/12/15/20.01.44.php

Ivory --- You Mean They're Still Doing That?

Yes, elephants, whales, walruses, hippos, even warthogs are still being hunted and poached. Game wardens in Africa are still being killed.

Diamonds are DeBeer's Best Friend

Diamonds are a multi-billion dollar industry. Purchased by the wealthiest among us, they are often mined by the poorest.  One cartel, DeBeers, controls most of the market. The political and social ramifications are mind-bending and heart-rending. For more information, here are a couple of places to start:

http://www.amnestyusa.org/amnestynow/diamonds.html

http://www.rotten.com/library/crime/corporate/debeers/