By: Jeffery Bergman, SSEF SGC
Legend has it that Ethiopia’s Queen Sheba adorned herself with precious opal when she visited King Solomon in Jerusalem. The first known evidence of human use of opal dates back approximately 6,000 years (Gebremedhin, K 2014). In 1939, archaeologist Dr. Louis Leakey uncovered opal artifacts in a cave in Nakuru, Kenya dating back to 4000 BC, according to Allan Eckert’s book The World of Opal. These opals were most likely from Ethiopia (www.opalsdownunder.com 2015).
Eighth Dimension Gems refuses to call our gemstones “Ethically Sourced” as it insinuates our competitors who do not make this claim are selling gems which are not ethically sourced.
Eighth Dimension Gems refuses to call our gemstones “Responsibly Sourced” as it insinuates our competitors who do not make such claims are selling gems which are not responsibly sourced.
Eighth Dimension Gems refuses to call our gemstones “Sustainable” as it requires the bastardization of the definition of the term. No earth mined gemstone can be properly defined as “sustainable” since all mining is by its very nature unsustainable as it exploits a finite resource.
Eighth Dimension Gems is opposed to NGO’s and trade organizations “Certifying” gemstone suppliers as “Ethical” or “Responsible” as the vast majority of small scale miners and traders lack the financial resources necessary to pay for such certification.
At Eighth Dimension Gems, we source our gems predominantly from small scale miners and traders who have not paid for NGO or trade organization Ethical, Responsible, or Sustainable gemstone dealer certification.
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