Caroline Lucas today joined forces with local businesses to call for Brighton and Hove to become Britain's "first ethical jewellery trading hub."

Dr Lucas proposed the unique move after Green Party research revealed that the majority of the city's numerous jewellery retailers are unable to guarantee that their gold and diamond jewellery originates from ethical sources.

Mining for gold has been linked to a host of serious human rights and environmental abuses in countries such as Honduras and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Diamonds have been blamed for fuelling and perpetuating armed conflicts across Africa - thus the term "blood diamond", itself the title of the now-world famous feature film.

Under the proposals, all of the city's jewellery retailers would be encouraged to market at least one range of ethically sourced gold products, and to work to ensure that their diamond products are genuinely conflict-free.

A working group consisting of retailers, ethical supply specialists and relevant campaigners would be established to spearhead, market and develop the initiative on an ongoing basis.

The Green Party believes the proposals will further fuel growing support for ethical and fairly traded goods, raise the profile of local businesses involved in the initiative, and represent a positive move for the image of Brighton and Hove as a whole.

Caroline Lucas today said: "Brighton and Hove is a popular destination for those looking to purchase jewellery for a special occasion. Our research found that very few retailers were able to offer reassurance or guarantees that there jewellery products are from ethical sources. Unfortunately, guarantees are what the disconcerning consumer needs in order to make informed choices."

She added: "Here in Brighton and Hove, a host of pioneering retailers and producers are leading the way in ethical procurement for other products - be it food, clothing, toys or even garden furniture - and there's no reason those involved in jewellery retail and manufacture cannot follow suit. Ethical trading is good for business - as well as being good for the environment and human rights."

Two leading Sussex ethical jewellery businesses today backed the Green Party's proposals.

Deborah Miarkowska of EcoChic Collection, an online, Sussex based boutique and magazine specialising in ethically sourced jewellery, gifts and accessories and the promotion of social causes said: “Congratulations to the Green Party for spearheading such an important campaign for Brighton. EcoChic Collection is delighted to be collaborating on this vital issue and supports the work of the work of ARM (Association For Responsible Mining) who alongside CRED jewellery have worked tirelessly to promote this issue.”

She continued: “ARM highlights how today's mining industry is under increasing pressure to show greater social and environmental responsibility. This is part of a wider demand from consumers for evidence that the products they purchase are ethically sourced, that the extraction process contributes to local sustainable development and poverty reduction, and that the basic human rights of workers and communities are respected.”

Greg Valerio, of the Chichester-based Cred Jewellery, which has pioneered a gold supply chain that is fully transparant and open to ethical audit, said: “This is fantastic news for the UK jewellery industry, not just Brighton. As the UK's first fair trade jeweller I believe it is this kind of vision for sustainable business that could define the UK as a global jewellery leader once again.”

He continued: “This vision is very achievable, our work at CRED Jewellery with our international partners has proved that a 100% physically traceable jewellery supply chain is possible.”

The Green Party recently visited 21 of the town's leading jewellery shops and workshops – ranging from big chain stores to small independent outfits – and quizzed them on the origins and ethical status of their goods.

With the exception of outlets who carry specifically ethical ranges, none of the others were able to say with any certainty where their gold comes from, or prove if it was ethically procured. One larger store stated it was part of a scheme designed to avoid the use of gold from dubious origins.

On diamonds, all the stores spoken to claimed that they only sold "conflict free" stones, yet none were able to provide paperwork or other supporting evidence to prove this.

Many admitted that they only had their suppliers word (often a few lines of small print at the bottom of an invoice) to reassure customers, or broad statements saying all their products are "responsibly sourced". Several claimed to be signed up to the Kimberley Process – an international mechanism for controlling the trade in conflict diamonds – but could offer little to back this up.

Several retailers complained that it was virtually impossible to establish exactly where their gold or stones come from because of the complex supply chains that characterise the gold and diamond sectors.

Greg Valerio of Cred Jewellery commented: “The jewellery supply chain is complex but not impossibly complicated that it cannot change. Consumers and jewellers should not be placed in a position where they cannot get full provenance on their gold. Given the huge levels of environmental devastation that are caused by mining activities every year, it is no longer intellectually or morally credible for the jewellery trade to pretend we can do nothing about it.”

He continued: “Traceability is possible and we must insist the mining companies, refiners and fabricators of our product introduce reforms that guarantee provenance on their production. This is why I fully endorse fair trade as it demonstrates this is possible. We expect certified fair trade and fair trade green gold to be available in the UK market early part of 2010.”

The findings of the Green Party research mirror previous studies undertaken on a much larger scale. A survey of UK diamond retailers carried out by by Global Witness and Amnesty International revealed that many leading UK retailers did not have effective policies in place to help British consumers avoid conflict diamonds.

The survey, released in May 2007, found that more than three-quarters (79%) of retailers who did respond reported having no auditing procedures in place to combat the trade in conflict diamonds. Almost a third (31%) of retailers surveyed failed to respond to repeated requests to provide information about their policies, including household names. Nearly two-thirds of those surveyed (62%) do not post any information on their websites about their policies on conflict diamonds.

Pressure groups are continuing to call for all sectors of the diamond industry, including the jewellery retail sector, to implement third-party audit measures and responsible sourcing policies; for the UK, the European Commission and other governments to carry out stricter oversight of the diamond industry and strengthen and improve enforcement of the Kimberley Process; and for jewellery retailers themselves to make their policies on conflict diamonds prominently accessible on their websites.

For more information contact Brighton & Hove Green Party 01273 766672 / 07977 239406

Broadcast footage of gold / diamond mining available.

Background notes:

Conflict diamonds

Revenues obtained from the extraction and supply of commodities such as diamonds are directly bankrolling corrupt regimes and armed insurgency groups, and fund the purchase of weapons and other contraband goods that perpetuate cycles of conflict.

The mining and trade in diamonds has also fuelled a number of deadly conflicts, particularly in Africa. The gems, an international symbol of love, are in reality associated with violence and suffering in, amongst others, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Angola, Liberia and the Democratic Republic of Congo, where civil wars and conflicts funded by the diamond trade have raged.

Amnesty International estimates that as many as 3.7 million people may have died in African conflicts fuelled by diamonds. Rebel groups in all these countries have been accused of seizing control of diamond-rich areas and selling the precious gems for arms and war supplies.

In Angola, throughout the 1990s, the diamond funded civil war claimed thousands of lives until the UN Security Council imposed sanctions on diamond sales by the UNITA rebel group and the conflict was brought to a close.

The destination for many 'blood diamonds' has been identified as the high streets of the US and Europe, where consumers unwittingly purchase stones linked to appalling human rights abuses and conflicts in distant African countries.

Pressure groups, including Amnesty and Global Witness, eventually succeeded in getting the international community to take action, resulting in the establishment of the Kimberley process, an international mechanism designed to control and police the diamond trade and encourage a switch to conflict-free stones. Although it has recently come under fire for failing to effectively operate, the initiative is widely regarded as providing a model for other similar processes for curtailing other unsustainable trades.

More information: www.globalwitness.org

“Dirty” gold

Gold-mining has been described as a “ a dirty industry “; displacing communities, contaminating drinking water, injuring workers, and destroying ecosystems.

In Honduras gold-mining has effectively established a mantra of profit over people. Campaigners claim that residents are routinely expelled from their villages in order to accommodate the digging of vast opencast mines.

The San Martin mine has devastated the local environment through deforestation and the ‘cyanide heap leaching’ method of mining, according to campaign group CAFOD. The US Environment Protection Agency (EPA) reports that short-term exposure cyanide in water sources can result in ‘rapid breathing, tremors and other neurological effects’, whilst in the long-term cyanide has the potential to cause ‘weight loss, thyroid effects and nerve damage’.

In addition to the threat of cyanide poisoning, opencast mines are responsible for extensive air pollution. Liquid waste from tailings dams (barrages designed to catch the waste products produced during the mineral separation process) dries in the atmosphere producing enormous amounts of dust. Increased vehicle traffic pollutes the air with exhaust fumes, whilst the smelting process required to process the ore to an industrially recognised standard releases oxides of nitrogen and sulphur - components of smog and acid rain.

Gold mining has played a similarly devastating role in the DRC. The northeast corner of country is home to one of Africa's richest goldfields. Competition to control the mines and trading routes has joined the illicit trade in blood diamonds in fuelling the bloody conflict that has gripped the region since the start of the Congolese civil war.

Soldiers and armed group leaders, seeing control of the gold mines as a way to financial gain, arms, and power, have fought each other ruthlessly, often targeting civilians in the process. Combatants under their command practised grave human rights abuses and violations of international humanitarian law including widespread ethnicity-based slaughter, executions, torture, rape and arbitrary arrest. Rather than bringing prosperity to the peoples of North-eastern Congo, gold has been – according to campaigners – a curse to those who have the misfortune of living there.

More information: www.cafod.org.uk

About EcoChic

EcoChic is an online boutique and magazine, a beautiful story, a handpicked collection of the finest ethically sourced jewellery, gifts and accessories. Pure elegance and ethics combined with the best in UK design talent,that is the EcoChic story. EcoChic magazine raises the issues and is full of lively articles on ethical and fair trade fashion, cutting edge green style, health and well being, ecology, world and community news and bringing you the latest in ecological and health research, ethical business stories and much more in promoting those making a positive difference. EcoChic Foundation also raises vital funds for good causes and we offer our Trees For good programme too. Beautiful Designs..Beautiful Beginnings....www.ecochiccollection.co.uk

About Cred Jewellery

www.credjewellery.com.

CRED's mission is to make it culturally unacceptable to buy a piece of jewellery that is not socially and environmentally certified as responsible.

CRED Jewellery was established in 1996 by the human rights activist Greg Valerio. CRED was the first UK business to sell 'Green Gold in the UK' and is the UK's original fair trade jeweller. Committed to 100% traceability CRED Jewellery works exclusively with responsible small scale miners as well as some of the UK's leading designers to create the purest jewellery in the country. Their boutique is based in Chichester West Sussex or online at

Greg Valerio has been foundational to establishing the Fair Trade standards in GOLD with Fair Trade Labelling Organisation (FLO), is a founding board member of The Alliance for Responsible Mining (www.communitymining.org) and is currently campaigning with the Inuit people of Greenland on environmental gemstone mining and securing their indigenous rights to mine which currently are being denied them by the Danish Colonial authorities. (www.freegreenlandruby.com) .