“I’m very interested in the relationship between humans and the environment and so is my fiancée,” says Fite-Wassilak, who lives in Atlanta, GA, where he’s in grad school studying architecture and green building. “We’re both socially conscious. We discussed for awhile whether we were comfortable with a diamond that wasn’t conflict-free.”
The answer was a resounding no.
This idea of conflict-free diamonds bubbled into the mainstream vocabulary with the 2006 release of “Blood Diamond,” starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Connelly. The fictional storyline deals with real life issues of African militias illegally trading raw diamonds for weapons. The film also eludes to the diamond industry’s creation of the Kimberly Process, which was created in 2002 and seeks to track the origin of diamonds and reduce the trade in diamonds that fund atrocities.
“I’d done some searching locally and online, and there’s not much with recycled gold or conflict-free diamonds,” reports Fite-Wassilak, 28. “You could get either or, but not both.”
Long distance for love
Then he remembered Anna Brown, a friend from his undergrad years. Her parents, Steve and Judy Brown, own the jewelry store Brown Goldsmiths in Freeport. Fite-Wassilak had toured it years ago and was impressed by their custom jewelry making capabilities and their commitment to socially-responsible business practices.
Despite the distance, Fite-Wassilak called upon Brown Goldsmiths to create what he calls a “nontraditional engagement pendant.” This was followed by two wedding bands and a diamond ring for his wedding to Amanda Siegel this past May.
“It made me feel a lot more comfortable to have a diamond that didn’t come from a conflict region,” Fite-Wassilak says of the Canadian diamonds they selected. “We knew it was an added expense. Knowing this is a symbol of our love and dedication to one another it seemed wrong to associate it with environmental degradation or poor working conditions. In my eyes, it was an investment.”
Getting recycled gold from Brown Goldsmiths was easy, because the jeweler uses it exclusively for its in-house designs.
Values, beyond carat size
Steve and Judy Brown are the type of people who recycle and make their own granola. So it’s no surprise that their company is a member of Maine Businesses for Social Responsibility. And in the late 1990s, when problems with conflict diamonds began to come to light in the jewelry industry, the Browns sought out a private-label diamond cutter from South Africa with a track record of working with legitimate suppliers.
“The partnership with the South African family of diamond cutters has been an illuminating one,” Judy Brown says. “They have a long history of working with people in developing countries.”
Whenever a customer buys one of Brown Goldsmiths’ South African diamonds, the jeweler makes a contribution in the customer’s name to Global Giving. Brown Goldsmiths is also a member of the Council for Responsible Jewellry Practices, an international organization that works to improve business practices in the diamond and gold industries. The council is made up of mining companies, cutting businesses, gold refining corporations and retailers.
Not only is Brown Goldsmiths the only Maine jeweler to belong to the organization, it’s also one of the smallest. Other retail members include Tiffany & Co., Louis Vuitton, Cartier, Zale Corporation, Helzberg Diamonds and Montblanc.
“Like most people, our awareness has grown with more information and better understanding of human rights and environmental issues,” Brown says. “It’s been an ongoing process.”
For customers like Fite-Wassilak and Siegel, it’s a process that provides peace of mind. Because there’s enough to worry about when it comes to weddings and engagements, without wondering if that fire in your diamond is fueled by someone else’s blood.