We always hear a lot of negative comments with every price increase. Couple that with the horror some people experience when seeing the little baggies displaying "Made in the PRC" (People's Republic of China), it is easy to imagine the stereotype of "Made in China" that our precious beads are perhaps being made in dusty, sub-standard factories with child labour & unsafe working conditions for pennies each while being sold as high end jewellery at the end of the chain.
I recently came across this news report that states Lise Aagaard Copenhagen, the company that designs & distributes Trollbeads, has joined the Responsible Jewellery Council and is, "fully committed responsible practices in meeting high standards of ethical, social, and environmental performance."
They go onto say "Our retailers and customers can be confident that Trollbeads takes its social corporate responsibility seriously and strives to ensure that it's ethical and quality control is second to none." Source: Professional Jeweller, http://www.professionaljeweller.com/article-7864-trollbeads-joins-the-rjc/
This gives me some comfort that the high prices we pay are not just making someone rich, but are perhaps a reflection of the high quality of materials and careful & responsible choice of which factories are given the contracts to produce the beads. I'd like to think that the workers are paid fairly and are able to work in a safe & comfortable workplace.
Trollbeads is quiet on this issue, but I'd love to see more information given to the fans on the these topics. I know I can justify paying more for a bead if I have the knowledge that the production of that bead, from start to finish, is done in a responsible manner.
I recently came across this news report that states Lise Aagaard Copenhagen, the company that designs & distributes Trollbeads, has joined the Responsible Jewellery Council and is, "fully committed responsible practices in meeting high standards of ethical, social, and environmental performance."
They go onto say "Our retailers and customers can be confident that Trollbeads takes its social corporate responsibility seriously and strives to ensure that it's ethical and quality control is second to none." Source: Professional Jeweller, http://www.professionaljeweller.com/article-7864-trollbeads-joins-the-rjc/
This gives me some comfort that the high prices we pay are not just making someone rich, but are perhaps a reflection of the high quality of materials and careful & responsible choice of which factories are given the contracts to produce the beads. I'd like to think that the workers are paid fairly and are able to work in a safe & comfortable workplace.
Trollbeads is quiet on this issue, but I'd love to see more information given to the fans on the these topics. I know I can justify paying more for a bead if I have the knowledge that the production of that bead, from start to finish, is done in a responsible manner.
