What beautiful stories can artisanal mining tell us?

Cristina Villegas, the globally respected Pact director, shares her bright, gem-rich fantasy Jewel Vault and describes what ethical jewellery means at a human level, ultimately choosing that one special treasure to keep safe forever.

I hope you enjoy listening!

Guest Bio: Cristina Villegas is a leading figure advancing good governance in the artisanal and small-scale mines to market sector. About 20% of the diamonds and gold we buy and 80% of the sapphires are amongst the minerals mined informally by an estimated 45m people worldwide, some of whom earn less than $2 a day. Whilst it’s a hugely important source of minerals and metals globally, it traps communities in a cycle of poverty.

Based in Washington DC, Cristina is Director of Responsible Sourcing and Minerals at PACT, a respected global NGO advancing development and sustainability and her projects range from mining safety in Indonesia, to child labour in gold mining in Columbia via many projects in African nations including the pioneering Moyo Gems women’s social enterprise in Tanzania. I want to hear from you!

What special treasures would you put into your fantasy jewel vault, and why? Every so often I’ll compile your stories into a podcast of their own.

To get in touch with me and also to access show notes and images, go to: https://www.juraster.com/blogs/insidethejewelvault/inside-the-jewel-vault-with-cristina-villegas

Produced by Lizzie Wingham.

Series engineered Asa Bennett.