How Jo Kaminska Ethical Jewellery Is Making A Difference
What I love about Jo Kaminska Ethical Jewellery goes beyond the jewelry. It is the heart and passion of the designer. A designer whose efforts to source ethical gemstones are helping artisanal mining communities. A humanitarian working to save our planet from plastic pollution through philanthropy and education. A designer who is making a difference in the world.
That designer and awesome lady is Joanna Ruda. I had the pleasure of meeting her at JCK Las Vegas 2016.
The down to earth jewelry maven spoke to me about her passion for gemstones and transparency in the jewelry industry. I learned about the roots of her brand and the Jo Kaminska Foundation. A foundation born from her dedication to save the planet from plastic pollution. I was moved and inspired by our conversation.
About Jo Kaminska Ethical Jewellery
Joanna’s path to the jewelry industry came after a successful career as an interpreter. She speaks six languages! That combined with a travel bug landed her in Brazil to finally realize her passion for gemstones. She also saw a darker side of the gem trade and wants to effect change.
As a result of her trip to Brazil Joanna set out to make jewelry her new path. She has trained with renowned goldsmiths. She studied jewelry design and Gemology at the GIA in Bangkok and London.
Joanna founded her jewelry business on the principles of fair trade and a transparent chain of production and supply.
The jewelry is handmade by Joanna or in collaboration with local artisans. Each gemstone is carefully selected by the designer straight from the source.
Joanna’s collections are colorful and elegant. She chooses the most vibrant gemstones with a quality cut. My favorites are the circle of life rings and confetti collection. You can purchase direct from the Jo Kaminska website or from jewelry stores all over the world.
Image Courtesy of Jo Kaminska Ethical Jewellery
Image Courtesy of Jo Kaminska Ethical Jewellery
Joanna’s exquisite jewelry line helps fund the Jo Kaminska Charitable Foundation. A foundation that advocates for the economic development in artisanal communities in under developed nations. Its primary focus promotes environmental awareness through education and community outreach.
About the Jo Kaminska Foundation
Image Courtesy of Jo Kaminska Ethical Jewellery – Teacher Training in Sri Lanka
The Jo Kaminska Foundations mission is to promote environmental awareness specializing in plastic pollution. This is done through advocacy and community outreach programs. They provide teacher trainings that combine art and information about plastic pollution. The foundations work is based in Sri Lanka which is where a majority of the gemstones sourced for Joanna’s jewelry collections are from.
The foundation has trained teachers in more than 162 schools in Sri Lanka. By organizing grassroots events like beach clean ups and educating the community; the foundation hopes to reduce and eliminate plastic pollution. To learn more about the Jo Kaminska Foundation please visit the Jo Kaminska Ethical Jewellery website or the foundations facebook page.
