Internal commitment, collective action and shared responsibility are key to fostering sustainability in the jewellery sector, according to panellists at a June 20 session held at Jewellery & Gem ASIA Hong Kong (JGA) 2024.

At the “Sustainable Luxury: Inspiring Case Studies in the Jewellery Industry” panel discussion, speakers advised jewellery industry players seeking to embark on their own sustainability journey to start close to home. 

Guillermo Galvis, president of the Colombian Emeralds Exporters Association (ACODES), shared details of the Butterfly Conservation Project in the emerald-mining zone in Colombia.

 “It is important to understand the space you are operating in and then devote your resources and actions to this endeavour. That will then lead to the right results for everyone,” he said, “We saw how butterflies were endemic to the region and were special to the community. This led to the project. Our goal is to be as green as the emeralds we produce.”

H.K. Impex Pvt Ltd Director Mukesh Dholakia said the diamond manufacturers’ focus on water projects in the Indian state of Gujarat stems from their family’s background as farmers. 

He noted that 44 per cent of the land in Gujarat is arid and 28 per cent of households do not have access to safe drinking water. The group’s project to build manmade lakes would thus have a profound impact on local communities. 

“Farming is the only source of food in India. We solve our own issues as we are aware of the challenges,” Dholokia said.

Matthew Triglone, managing director of jewellery manufacturing firm Jewelarc International in Chonburi, Thailand, shared learnings from the company’s compostable bag initiative and its experience with Single Mine Origin gold. 

To him, sustainability is a decision and a commitment, with the full support of his employees. “You should start from within. And the commitment from the entire team is very powerful,” Triglone commented.

Questions from conscious customers also trigger further research and action, he added, saying this led to Jewelarc’s adoption of Single-Mine Origin gold for its jewellery.

“Sustainability is now an imperative for luxury. If we do not drill down to where our materials come from and if people digging in mines do not have a higher quality of life, we should not be an industry,” Triglone said.

JGA 2024 runs until June 23 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Click here for JNA's coverage of Jewellery & Gem ASIA Hong Kong 2024.