RGU’s Gray’s School of Art has joined Scotland’s leading art colleges and signed a pledge designed to help the country become a world leader in ethical gold and silver work.
Representatives of all seven colleges offering HND and degree level courses in jewellery and silversmithing put their names to the Incorporation of Goldsmiths’ Ethical Making Pledge at an international symposium of designers and makers in Edinburgh.
The move reflects a growing determination among makers, designers, educators and consumers to demand that precious metals are responsibly mined and that sustainable and environmentally friendly techniques are used in workshops.
An estimated one million children work in gold and silver mines in the developing world, many paid as little as a dollar a day. Workers at many mines endure unsafe conditions and exposure to toxic chemicals.
Karen Dicken, lecturer in Jewellery Design at Gray’s commented: “Jewellery design and in particular metal extraction has a devastating effect on communities and landscapes across the globe.
“I believe the ethical making pledge is an excellent move by the Incorporation of Goldsmiths and educational institutions from across Scotland, not only for supporting the use of ethical materials but to introduce this to the next generation of jewellers at an early stage in their career."
The pledge means that the relevant departments at Gray's School of Art, City of Glasgow College, Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design, Edinburgh College of Art, Fife College, Glasgow Kelvin College and Glasgow School of Art will:
- Move towards the sole use of ethically sourced precious metals
- Include ethical theory and practice on their curriculums and in workshop practices
- Nominate student ambassadors to take part in ethical making information sessions organised by the Incorporation.
Zoe Gilmore, Gray’s student ambassador for the pledge, added: “As a student, I feel the ethical pledge is a really important step to improve ethical making and metal sourcing within Design. I am proud to be a part of this, and the Ethical Symposium has taught me invaluable insights into metal production and jewellery."
Mary Michel, director of the Incorporation, added: “This is a proud moment for all of us. The pledge will help make Scotland known throughout the world as the trustworthy producer of ethically sourced, imaginatively designed and exquisitely made jewellery and silver.
“Scotland’s colleges have a tremendous reputation for producing superb designers and makers. The fact that ethical making and provenance will now be a focus on these courses will further strengthen their reputation.
“It also makes sound commercial sense as, in common with every sector from food to fashion, consumers increasingly want to be sure that goods are ethically sourced. This can be all the more important when it is a piece of gold or silver purchased to symbolise a special moment in life, such as an engagement, a wedding or a birthday.”
