Most diamond and gemstone buyers know that they should consider a stone’s Color, Cut, Clarity and Size before making a purchase. However, very few take into account that gem mining can contribute to environmental destruction, government corruption and unsafe conditions of mine workers, when not done ethically and responsibly.

In recent years, due to a Hollywood production, people have become aware of ‘blood diamonds’ which were sold to fund repressive revolutionary groups in a few African countries, and which led the industry to create the Kimberly Process, which tracks a stone from its origin and verifies that its sale is not supporting any of these groups or regimes.

Hubert only purchases diamonds from legitimate sources who subscribe to the Kimberley Process and The System of Warranties. We have a zero-tolerance policy towards conflict diamonds.

The System of Warranties is an extension of the Kimberley Process, where members of the diamond trade provide a written guarantee on all invoices that the diamonds are conflict free. All warranties whether given or received must be audited and reconciled on an annual basis. The System of Warranties provides assurance that diamonds are from conflict free sources all the way to the diamond jewelry retailer.

There is, unfortunately, no similar tracking system for colored gems, to make sure that they are mined in a social, ethical and responsible way. Transparency and Trace-ability are the base of all ethical claims. Without them no serious claims can be substantiated.

To our company, it is important to value and maintain strong mining and trading ethics, and caring about the social and environmental well being of the industry.

For such reason, when buying gemstones, Hubert is committed to purchasing colored gemstone only from reputable and known sources, which are in compliance with the USA Patriot Act and the Jade Act, maintaining an up to date AML program and purchasing mostly rough materials, which are then cut and polished in our studios in the USA.

We believe this to be the best and only way to source better goods, help the industry grow and provide our customer with the certainty that they own diamonds and gemstones of good provenance. To help us with our ethical sourcing, Hubert is a participating member of the organizations below, which are active within the jewelry and gemstones industry, as well as the greater social community:

JEWELERS BOARD OF TRADE (JBT)
www.jewelersboard.com

AMERICAN GEMS TRADE ASSOCIATION (AGTA)
www.agta.org

INTERNATIONAL COLORED GEMSTONE ASSOCIATION (ICA)
www.gemstone.org

INTERNATIONAL GEM SOCIETY (IGS)
www.gemsociety.org

BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU (BBB)
www.bbb.org

JEWELERS IMPORTERS AND MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION (JIMA)
www.jimaintl.net