Perekezi Forest Reserve, Malawi.

This has involved Crystal Clear conducting CRAFT Code due diligence reporting at the mine - in alignment with the Alliance for Responsible Mining - to identify challenges and next steps, whilst supporting the community in formalising, regulating and validating their trade.  With guidance from Fairmined regulations, the stones were fairly traded, and the whole process was the first healing crystal to be recorded on blockhain technology - Provenance - for optimum transparency. This is revolutionary in the crystal industry and only the beginning of the story for Crystal Clear.

“We are not here to seek out ethical statements and walk away when this can’t be achieved. The only way we can change attitudes and practices in the gemstone industry is if we help these ASM communities achieve their goals, and thus move towards validating ethical statements, " says founder Jill Urwin.

To purchase these stones head to She’s Lost Control.

Furthermore, the sales of these Rose Quartz Crystals via She’s Lost Control, have enabled us to fund, plan and implement a 2 day training course for female miners, with an emphasis on empowering women in mining in Malawi.

The overall objective is to provide these women with new skills that will make them better informed and knowledgeable in the world of gemstones. Inequality for women in mining in Africa is commonplace. Many do not have the knowledge, training or skillsets to identify the gemstones that they mine. This means they are vulnerable to exploitation and under-valuations. In most artisanal mining set-ups, women hand over their finds to male mining partners and they often never know the true worth nor reap the true financial benefits.

The UN Secretary-General has singled out women’s leadership for their unique ability as “drivers of solutions” when they are empowered. UN analysis has shown that men and women have different coping mechanisms and vulnerabilities in the face of climate change. Not surprisingly, then, that gender dynamics factor in the consideration in designing and implementing strategies for adaptive approaches to climate change.

“As a conscious business we strive to do our bit when it comes to climate change and working towards the SDGs, especially when it comes to impacting positive change in the mining sector”, said Jill.

“In this first level of training, we provided women with the confidence and knowledge to sell gemstones for themselves, which included learning about market demands, how to reach the market, and how women can support climate change. The work does not stop there. “