Fair Trade gems – Fair Trade Gems are closely tracked from mine to market to ensure that every gem has been handled according to strict protocols. The protocols include environmental protection, fair labor practices at the cutting and jewelry factories, and a tight chain of custody that eliminates the possibility of treated gems or synthetics being introduced into the supply chain. The program also includes promotion of cultural diversity, and public education and accountability.

Cortez Pearls – Spanish captain Fortun Jimenez admired the pearls he saw local people wearing when he visited what he called the “Sea of Pearls” in 1533. Natural pearls were harvested from these waters for the next 300 years, becoming an important export. Unfortunately, the construction of the Hoover Dam depleted nutrients in the Gulf of California, diminishing natural pearl production in the area. To protect the oysters, the government banned harvesting of natural oyster beds in 1939. The Monterrey Technical Institute in Guaymas began studying pearl culturing in 1993, producing the first experimental round pearls in 1996. Only 4,000 pearls are cultured in these waters each year, making them the rarest of cultured pearls. Only 30 percent of the production is round.