British jeweller Greg Valerio, who has also been actively involved in the work of Fairtrade Gold has been awarded MBE in the Queen’s New Years’ Honour list 2016 for his work in Fairtrade Gold and with gold mining communities in South America and Africa.

Ever since he encountered child labour in the gold industry on a visit to India way backin 1996, Greg has been campaiging for better conditions for those employed in the journey of gold from the mine to the jeweller and then the consumer. In 2004, he was able to create the world’s first traceable gold, from mine to wedding ring.

In 2011, Greg worked with the Fairtrade Foundation to launch the world’s first Fairtrade gold from artisanal and small-scale miners in Peru, Colombia and Bolivia. Then, in 2012, he worked with a Comic Relief funded pilot project for Fairtrade International to apply Fairtrade principles to small-scale mining groups in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. The groups underwent their first ever Fairtrade audit in 2015. 

In January 2015, Greg worked with the Fairtrade Foundation and other global Fairtrade markets to launch a bridal campaign ‘I Do’ to sell encourage 100,000 brides and grooms to ask for Fairtrade gold when they buy their engagement and wedding rings.

Writing on his blog, the jeweller thanks his family and colleagues and appeals to the trade: “Fair trade in gems and jewellery will mean transparency, traceability, social, economic and ecological justice through the entire profession.”

He adds, “Jewellery and justice are not incompatible and lost to each other. The great challenge we now face is to forge a new luxury jewellery narrative that connects the aspirational emotion of the purchase with the dignity of the source. This is true luxury jewellery, a legacy of peace, justice and prosperity for the communities at the source and a continued celebration of design, creativity and love in the gift that is given.”