Leber Jeweler

In Support of a Human Rights Activist in Angola

Posted on June 14, 2013, 9:53 am, by Leber Jeweler and received Comments Off.

I’ve known human rights activist and journalist Rafael Marques de Morais for several years now. His work raising awareness of the plight of diamond miners in Angola is remarkable and we’ve done what we can to support his efforts. For many years, the private security services hired to protect diamond mining concessions operated by civilian business partners of Angolan generals have been perpetrating atrocities in the Lunda provinces in the north-eastern region of Angola, alongside the Angolan Armed Forces (FAA.) These crimes include burying 45 miners alive, executing 22 by gunfire, forcing 15 miners to jump to their deaths from a speeding truck, along with widespread beatings and torture. For many years now, Rafael has been a voice in the wilderness, making sure the outside world was made aware of these crimes.

In April of this year, Rafael was summoned to be interrogated by the Organized Crime Unit of the National Police in Luanda, Angola. He was subsequently informed that he had been indicted in January 2013 on charges of defamation related to his book, Blood Diamonds: Corruption and Torture in Angola, published in Portugal in 2011. The book documents widely reported allegations of homicides, torture, forced displacement of civilian settlements and intimidation of those living in the diamond-mining areas of the Lundas region. It appears that these charges are largely politically motivated as Angola seeks to bury the truth about the well-document abuses.

This isn’t the first time Angola has tried to silence him. In 2000, he was sentenced to six months in prison and ordered to pay damages for defamation against the President of Angola, José Eduardo dos Santos. (President dos Santos has been in power for 32 years and was in power back when the conflict diamond issue was first emerging as an issue with stones originating in Angola.) In this attempt by Angola to squelch the truth about the ongoing human rights abuses, the United Nations Human Rights Commission found that Rafael was wrongly punished and the Angolan government ordered to offer restitution.

At Leber Jeweler, we’ll be doing what we can to help with this issue, both in Washington and internationally. In the meantime, don’t let anyone tell you the conflict diamond issue is “solved.” While the Kimberley Process may approve of Angola’s diamonds, they most certainly qualify as blood diamonds.

New from our Workbench

Posted on May 25, 2013, 9:26 am, by Leber Jeweler and received Comments Off.

One of our newest designs is the Barbara Pavé. Two intertwining bead-set Canadian diamond milgrain edge bands with a prong-set center stone of your choosing. Diamond, sapphire, whichever you please. They all look great!

Available in 18k white gold alloyed with palladium, 18k yellow gold, or 950 platinum. Starting at $1,975.

The More Things Change…

Posted on May 2, 2013, 4:08 pm, by Leber Jeweler and received Comments Off.

They grabbed what they could get for the sake of what was to be got. It was just robbery with violence, aggravated murder on a great scale, and men going at it blind – as is very proper for those who tackle a darkness. The conquest of the earth, which mostly means the taking it away from those who have a different complexion or slightly flatter noses than ourselves, is not a pretty thing when you look into it too much.

“Heart of Darkness” by Joseph Conrad (1899)

Wolves and Gemstones and Other Rare Things

Posted on April 27, 2013, 1:55 pm, by Leber Jeweler and received Comments Off.

On Friday, the US Fish and Wildlife Service announced a plan to remove endangered species protection for all Gray Wolves in the lower 48 states, with a small exception for a population of seventy-five Mexican wolves in Arizona and New Mexico. After eighteen years, federal authorities will now shift all responsibility for wolf conservation on to states.

“Conservation” is a bit of a stretch here. Wolves are legally hunted in Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming. Here in the Midwest, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan have implemented or are hatching plans to make wolves fair game for hunters. No doubt, if this plan comes to pass, other states will follow. To make matters worse and in a frightening precedent, Michigan’s Senate has OK’d a bill that prevents a statewide vote on the wolf hunting issue, which means voters can have no say on the matter, despite the fact a large percentage of Michigan’s residents oppose wolf hunting. The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Tom Casperson (R-Escanaba) says residents are “living in fear” of impending wolf attacks. I say, Mr. Casperson needs to be a little less melodramatic in pushing his special interest agenda.

As of 2012, there were an estimated 2,921 wolves in Minnesota, 782 in Wisconsin, and 687 in Michigan. (Although 25% of Minnesota’s wolf population were killed in the first hunt so that number has likely gone down.) Here in Illinois, most of the 10-plus wolves in recent history were killed by coyote hunters or cars. So it’s not exactly a wolf invasion.

A common argument used by those who support the killing of wolves is the harm they cause to livestock and pets, but let’s put that in perspective. According to a 2011 article that was referenced to support last year’s wolf hunt in Wisconsin, wolves killed 47 calves, 16 adult cows, six sheep and six farmed deer on Wisconsin farms. The estimated damage was approximately $114,000. Wolves killed 14 pet dogs and another 20 “bear hunting hounds.” The state paid around $61,000 in damages for the dogs. I think Chevy Tahoes with Wisconsin plates did more total damage than that.

My point is, this. We need to learn to share our planet rather than claim some sort of dominion over it. We’re supposed to be caretakers, not dictators. This simple credo can be applied from distant Africa to (literally) our own backyards.

Wolves serve an important role. Yes, they are carnivores. That’s what they do. By being wolves, they help keep the deer population in check. More important, they are a part of the natural order of things. It shouldn’t come down to something as base as the fact that some believe, since wolves can’t vote they merit no representation.

As a society we seem to only recognize something as rare and valuable when it’s an inanimate object that can be owned. It’s fine and good to like these things. We appreciate gemstones for their rarity. We admire the uniqueness of a hand-made object, whether it’s jewelry, furniture, or a bicycle. We support the preservation of objects, whether historical or artistic, to be enjoyed by future generations. But what’s so hard in taking that appreciation and extending it to the natural world around us? To me, the life of a wolf is a thousand times more valuable than any gem I’ve ever seen.

If you want to take action to help protect wolves, you can ask President Obama and Director Ashe of the US Fish and Wildlife Service to not remove protection for wolves in the lower 48 states by clicking here.

I know this wasn’t entirely jewelry related. That’s OK. Jewelry is what we sell. Advocacy is what we do.

Celebrate Earth Day with Aldo Leopold

Posted on April 22, 2013, 2:13 pm, by Leber Jeweler and received Comments Off.

First off, Happy Earth Day. While every day should be “earth day” since caring about our planet one day a year isn’t enough, it’s great that each year we mark out calendars to remind ourselves of the progress made with environmental issues and of the long road ahead.

The first Earth Day, which was started in 1970 by Gaylord Nelson, then a US Senator from Wisconsin, led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and the Endangered Species Act. Quite an accomplishment!

Speaking of Wisconsin, one of our heroes lived in that state. In Baraboo, Wisconsin to be exact. Aldo Leopold was a conservationist, forester, philosopher, educator, writer, and outdoor enthusiast. His book A Sand County Almanac is one of my all-time favorite reads and the foundation bearing his name continues to this day.

Tonight, a documentary on the life and work of Aldo Leopold will be airing on television networks in 40 states. (Here in Chicago it’s on public television station WYCC at 9pm.) We’ll be watching!

Is Your Jewelry Killing People?

Posted on March 23, 2013, 7:24 am, by Leber Jeweler and received Comments Off.

We’ve been working on this issue for several years now. Simply put, underpaid workers die every day from cutting the low-priced gemstones used in the jewelry you see in department stores, big-box retailers and on TV home shopping channels across the country. These gems and beads, which include common varieties like amethyst, citrine, and chalcedony, are cut in places like India and China, where workers are exposed to high levels of silica dust, a product of unsafe working conditions. This leads to a deadly disease called silicosis.

At Leber Jeweler, we have long been advocates for responsible sourcing with all the materials we use, including colored gemstones. But our high sourcing standards are more the exception than the rule in the world’s jewelry trade.

This week, the Global Post published an in-depth article on the subject of silicosis in gem cutting. I contributed to the piece. It highlights the plight of tens of thousands of gem workers, including the story of a man named Diwan. They are all victims of this low-cost gem cutting trade. Days after his interview with the Global Post reporter, Diwan died of silicosis.

The demands made by many western companies to cut the prices they are willing to pay for the gemstones they sell is partly to blame for fueling this terrible problem. As they press for lower cost goods with little regard for the plight of those on the first rung of a global supply chain, it is the workers in countries like India who are forced into a no-win situation of either working for less than a living wage or not working at all. But if a gemstone is cheap you can be all but certain, someone is paying the price.

Washington DC, Advocacy, and Sequestration

Posted on March 21, 2013, 3:18 pm, by Leber Jeweler and received Comments Off.

Lately, I’ve had a flurry of meetings in Washington, so lots of back-and-forth travel between Chicago and DC. The topics have covered the full spectrum, from human rights to worker rights, from the environment to economic issues happening here in America.

For this post, I had this beautiful shot of the Capitol dome gleaming in the sunlight backed by a stunning blue sky that I snapped racing from one side of the Hill to the other. But sifting through my Blackberry, I found an image of the line waiting to get in to one Senate office building that better captures the current dynamics in Washington DC at this moment.

That’s right. The Sequester.

Normally, one can breeze in to a Congressional office building three minutes before a meeting and still be on time. That usually means I can pack a schedule, knowing everything is timed to the minute and never be late for a meeting. But not this trip. Seems with the cut backs there’s less security to screen visitors. Or maybe someone is trying to send a message directly to Congress by making their hardworking staffers suffer in the cold? (Members of Congress have their own entry to the buildings, so no waiting in line.) One staffer told me he needs to arrive an hour early just to be on time.

With wait times to enter the government buildings running much longer than normal, one spends more time in line with suit-wearing, Blackberry-toting folks and less time advocating directly with the people I’m there to see. So even the face-to-face advocacy that makes up most of our trips to Washington DC has been cut back due to the sequestration. More time in line, one less meeting I can make on the Hill. The unintended consequences of mandatory budget cuts we all had hoped to avoid.

Today is International Women’s Day

Posted on March 8, 2013, 9:41 am, by Leber Jeweler and received Comments Off.

March 8 is the date designated by the United Nations to commemorate the role women play in developing a peaceful society and a time to call for women’s rights and participation in the political and economic process globally. The 2013 theme for International Women’s Day is: “A promise is a promise: Time for action to end violence against women.”

At Leber Jeweler Inc, we recognize the critical functions women fulfill in all of the development projects we support. In the words of the UN statement, today is the day to reflect on progress made, to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played an extraordinary role in the history of their countries and communities.

Or to quote Woody Guthrie, “But I’m sure the women are equal…And they may be ahead of the men.”

Take Action to Stop the Pebble Mine!

Posted on February 26, 2013, 3:47 pm, by Leber Jeweler and received Comments Off.

We’ve long talked about the potentially devastating consequences the proposed Pebble Mine near Pebble Bay, Alaska poses if it is allowed to proceed. We were among the first to speak out on the grave impact this mine will inflict on this fragile natural area and have used our voice to express the fears and concerns of many Alaskans on this issue through our frequent trips to Washington DC. Now, we need your help in letting President Obama know this issue is important to you.

The National Resource Defense Council has set up a petition directed to the White House and we want to ask you to join us in this fight to save the environment.

The EPA has determined that the Pebble Mine would spell disaster for Alaska’s Bristol Bay — its legendary salmon runs, its pristine environment and its Native communities. Please make your own voice heard at the White House immediately.

Call on President Obama to save this national treasure by directing his EPA to use its authority under the Clean Water Act to stop the Pebble Mine!

You can sign the petition here.

We at Leber Jeweler Inc thank you for your support!

Burma’s Jade War Continues…

Posted on February 7, 2013, 6:29 pm, by Leber Jeweler and received Comments Off.

The conflict in resource-rich Kachin state between government troops hoping to secure control over the vast jadeite resources and the armed wing of the Kachin Independence Organization persists, despite calls for an end to the bloodshed. Even the country’s president, Thein Sein last month voiced support for a ceasefire, but those calls were promptly ignored by Burma’s military who, some believe, may be beyond the direct control of the president’s authority. Tentative peace talks between the military and the KIA began this week, but it remains to be seen where these negotiations will lead. In December, the Burmese military upped the stakes and began a massive offensive using Chinese-built JL-8 fighter jets, Russian-built Mi-35 attack helicopters, as well as heavy artillery in an effort to wipe out remaining resistance. The Burmese military claims this offensive was launched for “self-defense” purposes.

The Kachin, who have been fighting for nearly 50 years for greater autonomy and are a Christian-majority population in Buddhist-majority Burma, have repeatedly refused to sign a ceasefire deal until a political agreement is made with the Burmese government. It is the only ethnic group that has not yet signed a peace deal with Thein Sein’s administration.

Human rights groups say nearly 100,000 people have been displaced by the fighting, with an unknown number of casualties. Kachin state in Burma is the source for virtually all the world’s fine quality jade as well as a wide range of valuable natural resources, making the area ripe for exploitation as western companies begin eyeing the country as the next untapped frontier. Recent widespread looting of jade abandoned by small-scale independent miners fleeing the violence highlights the fact that gems like Burma’s conflict jade continues to play a role in fueling ongoing violence and unrest in an increasingly complex and ever-evolving Burma.