In an interview with Haus von Eden, Brazilian designer Ana Khouri talks about the challenges of sustainable jewellery and her collaboration with Fairmined, an assurance label that certifies gold from empowered responsible artisanal and small-scale mining organizations.

Fairmined transforms mining into an active force for good, ensuring social development and environmental protection. The standard includes requirements for organisations to perform responsible artisanal and small-scale mining: formal and legal mining operations, environmental protection labor conditions, traceability of Fairmined minerals, and socio-economic development through the Fairmined Premium.

“My idea of jewellery goes beyond the intended purpose of ornamentation, entering more into the realm of art and sculpture. The designs are about the myriad ways that a piece can take shape on the wearer, and the balance the work creates with the body and as an extension of it. It is a very intimate process and a never-ending evolution of my artistic and aesthetic vision. Rather than a fashion business that follows any trend, it is about looking inside to who you are and what you believe and being true to that”, expresses the designer.

The investment it takes to extract gems and minerals correctly is high and the bureaucracy it takes to implement the projects is what’s keeping the sector behind. “If the main focus of a brand or a company is being profitable then we have challenges. The mindset needs to change and that takes time. I was brought up with such beliefs, so it felt natural to me to bring them into my work and my brand. I’ve always believed that you should do what you believe in, stand out and make a change. I want to help promote responsible, ethical, social and environmental practices, contributing to the change I want to see in the world”.

Sustainability is defined by the same elements that are found in all great work – quality, care, delicate craft and timelessness. And acting in an ethical and responsible manner is the desire and symbol of lasting value.

The brand that is part of the Fair Trade Alliance for Responsible Mining (ARM), a non-profit organization recognized worldwide as a leader and pioneer of responsible and small-scale artisanal mining, concludes, “From the beginning, my work has been a way to communicate a sense of harmony – of knowing my place in the world and being fully present within it. It allowed me to see what had been right in front of me, something so fundamental to life but so often muted by man-made distractions – the interconnectedness of all that surrounds us”.

American actress Tracee Ellis Ross wore Phillila Rings signed by Brazilian designer Ana Khouri in the shooting for the NAACP Image Awards.