The best gems and pearls come from a well-cared-for planet
The luxury jewelry brand bags the sustainability Initiative of the Year award at the 2018 Jewellery News Asia Awards held at InterContinental Hong Kong last September 17. Considered as one of the most prestigious award programs in the international jewelry and gemstone sector, the seventh annual JNA Awards acknowledged industry forerunners during the September Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair.
Since its establishment in 1979, Jewelmer has pioneered a pearl farming process with Mother Nature’s welfare at the center of its operations. Its farms in Palawan employ eco-conscious processes such as utilizing solar energy and implementing waste segregation. Pearl farms also serve as bio-generators; they contribute to the richness of marine life without depleting natural resources. The area where the farms are situated has been recognized as a marine-protected and a no-take zone where nature thrives freely and away from external human threats.
At the forefront of Jewelmer’s sustainability initiatives is the establishment of the Save Palawan Seas Foundation. Founded in 2006, SPSF has launched training programs aimed at integrating long-term conservation strategies while simultaneously introducing alternative sources of livelihood to beneficiary communities in Palawan. Its trainings include organic vegetable farming, seaweed farming, cashew processing, and handicraft making, to name a few.