Wal-Mart Stores, on Tuesday launched a new line of jewelry whose source can be tracked by the consumers. Consumers can see online where their jewellery was mined and manufactured. The Love, Earth jewellery line will be available at Wal-Mart stores, Sam’s Club locations, and on Walmart.com and Samsclub.com. The line being sold at Wal-Mart will feature 10 karat gold and sterling silver, and the Sam's Club line will include 14 karat gold and sterling silver. The collection is “designed to symbolize the Earth’s elements and based on the precepts of recycle, reduce, and respect,” the Bentonville-Ark-based retailer said in a statement.
The new line is the result of collaboration between Wal-Mart, Conservation International, a Washington, DC-based conservation group, and Wal-Mart’s supply chain partners, including Anglo-Australian mining company Rio Tinto, Denver-based gold producer Newmont Mining Corp, and Florida-based jewellery manufacturer Aurafin.
Aurafin, a Richline Group, said in its own statement that the Love, Earth program is in line with its, "corporate goal, of being responsible to ethical, social, and environmental practices."
Wal-Mart said it “selected partners in the mining and jewellery manufacturing industries that already demonstrated environmental and social leadership.” During the next phase of the partnership, the retailer plans to expand the number of approved mining and manufacturing suppliers and introduce diamonds to the Love, Earth line.
“With its considerable influence, market reach and commitment to sustainability, Wal-Mart has brought together like-minded suppliers, mining companies and conservation partners to work together to build a traceable jewellery supply chain at an impressive scale,” said Assheton Stewart Carter, senior director of Business Policies and Practices at Conservation International.
“We hope others in the jewellery industry will follow this leadership example and thus enable consumers to make simple choices that benefit the environment and mining communities when shopping for jewellery," he added.