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Donna Distefano Ltd: Where Metal and Fire Meet Love. Our jewelry is not only beautiful, but ethically responsible.
Mission
The mission of Donna Distefano Ltd. is to create beautiful treasures that mark the events of a lifetime while respecting the earth and its population. Donna Distefano combines beautiful sustainable precious metals with fair trade gemstones and conflict free diamonds to create an unforgettable, inherently glamorous story told by the hands of a true goldsmith. We also work with customers to makeover jewelry from pieces they already own. Attention to detail, excellent craftsmanship, and a consistent high level of personalized service are the foundations of the company.
Stephanie March, on Donna Distefano jewelry : “How many things in the world are as good for people as they are beautiful? Give beauty, glamour, AND safety all in one tiny, precious piece. Now that is a great gift!”
Fair Trade Gemstone Protocol:
All jewelry made by Donna Distefano Ltd is handcrafted in our New York City atelier using recycled precious metal; however, we buy gemstones from vendors who import from all over the world. In 2008, Donna Distefano Ltd launched a fair trade initiative to provide information to our clients. In order to assure that our jewelry is free from environmental destruction and human rights violations, we have developed the following fair trade protocols to accurately describe the gemstones in Donna Distefano jewelry.
Level A: These are natural gemstones purchased from a fair trade vendor who tracks the gem material from the mine to the cutting factory. Level A gemstones are accompanied by written verification of their country of origin and are mined and cut by fairly compensated workers with great consideration given to the environmental impact of mining and gem cutting.
Level B: These are natural gemstones that can be traced to the country of origin. Our vendors have written agreements in place that require fair labor practices in the gem cutting facilities where these gemstones are polished and faceted.
Level C: These are natural gemstones procured from reputable vendors who follow fair trade guidelines, but do not provide written verification of fair trade protocols. Any enhancements to the gemstones are fully disclosed.
Level D: These are gemstones that have been in the Donna Distefano inventory prior to 2008. While many may be fair trade, we are unable to verify the chain of custody for gemstones procured before establishing our fair trade initiative.
It is our goal to be transparent about where and how our gemstones are produced. We plan to expand our offerings of fair trade gemstones and gradually phase out gemstones whose chain of custody cannot be verified.
For further information
www.nodirtygold.org
www.fairtradefederation.org
www.globalwitness.org
www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=5825990n&tag=mncol;lst;2
Donna Distefano is a member of several important jewelry trade organizations, including JVC, MJSA, and AGTA.
The Jewelers Vigilance Committee (JVC) has been in existence since 1912, regulating the practices of the jewelry industry. Its members pledge to act in accordance with all applicable laws, represent their products accurately, and uphold the highest standards of ethics and integrity.
Incorporated in 1903, the Manufacturing Jewelers and Suppliers of America (MJSA) promotes professional excellence in the craft of jewelry making and design.
The American Gem Trade Association (AGTA) is a leading industry force dedicated to advancing the ethical promotion of natural colored gemstones and cultured pearls.
Diamond Empowerment Fund (DEF) Diamonds for Good Partner
The Diamonds for Good program was developed so that companies within the diamond jewelry industry could support DEF's mission of empowerment through education in the countries in which diamonds are sourced. The Empowerment Circle Seal – DEF's highest level of membership – and the Diamonds for Good Seal signify a company's membership.
Donna Distefano Ltd: Where Metal and Fire Meet Love. Our jewelry is not only beautiful, but ethically responsible.
Mission
The mission of Donna Distefano Ltd. is to create beautiful treasures that mark the events of a lifetime while respecting the earth and its population. Donna Distefano combines beautiful sustainable precious metals with fair trade gemstones and conflict free diamonds to create an unforgettable, inherently glamorous story told by the hands of a true goldsmith. We also work with customers to makeover jewelry from pieces they already own. Attention to detail, excellent craftsmanship, and a consistent high level of personalized service are the foundations of the company.
Stephanie March, on Donna Distefano jewelry : “How many things in the world are as good for people as they are beautiful? Give beauty, glamour, AND safety all in one tiny, precious piece. Now that is a great gift!”
Recycled Precious Metal
Donna Distefano Ltd has been committed to using recycled precious metal for more than 15 years. Always looking for ways to minimize the impact of goldsmithing on the planet, Distefano chooses to use pure gold supplied by refiners rather than miners, then creates custom high-karat gold alloys herself. “Mining creates literally tons of environmental waste,” says Distefano. “There is plenty of gold already in circulation, and by using recycled gold we can diminish our impact on the environment just a little bit more.”
For further information
www.nodirtygold.org
www.fairtradefederation.org
www.globalwitness.org
www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=5825990n&tag=mncol;lst;2
Donna Distefano is a member of several important jewelry trade organizations, including JVC, MJSA, and AGTA.
The Jewelers Vigilance Committee (JVC) has been in existence since 1912, regulating the practices of the jewelry industry. Its members pledge to act in accordance with all applicable laws, represent their products accurately, and uphold the highest standards of ethics and integrity.
Incorporated in 1903, the Manufacturing Jewelers and Suppliers of America (MJSA) promotes professional excellence in the craft of jewelry making and design.
The American Gem Trade Association (AGTA) is a leading industry force dedicated to advancing the ethical promotion of natural colored gemstones and cultured pearls.
Diamond Empowerment Fund (DEF) Diamonds for Good Partner
The Diamonds for Good program was developed so that companies within the diamond jewelry industry could support DEF's mission of empowerment through education in the countries in which diamonds are sourced. The Empowerment Circle Seal – DEF's highest level of membership – and the Diamonds for Good Seal signify a company's membership.
Donna Distefano Ltd: Where Metal and Fire Meet Love. Our jewelry is not only beautiful, but ethically responsible.
Mission
The mission of Donna Distefano Ltd. is to create beautiful treasures that mark the events of a lifetime while respecting the earth and its population. Donna Distefano combines beautiful sustainable precious metals with fair trade gemstones and conflict free diamonds to create an unforgettable, inherently glamorous story told by the hands of a true goldsmith. We also work with customers to makeover jewelry from pieces they already own. Attention to detail, excellent craftsmanship, and a consistent high level of personalized service are the foundations of the company.
Stephanie March, on Donna Distefano jewelry : “How many things in the world are as good for people as they are beautiful? Give beauty, glamour, AND safety all in one tiny, precious piece. Now that is a great gift!”
Quick Facts About Gold and Precious Metal Mining
A single gold ring leaves in its wake up to 20 tons of mine waste.
- Open-pit gold mines essentially obliterate the landscape, opening up vast craters, flattening or even inverting mountaintops, and producing 8 to 10 times more waste than underground mining.
- Cyanide is used by large mining operations to separate gold from ore. Cyanide pollution is a major concern. A rice-grain sized dose of cyanide can be fatal to humans; concentrations of 1 microgram (one-millionth of a gram) per liter of water can be fatal to fish.
- Metal mining employs just 0.09 percent of the global workforce but consumes as much as 10 percent of world energy.
- Between 1995 and 2015, approximately half the gold produced worldwide has or will come from indigenous peoples' lands.
- Metal mining is the number one toxic polluter in the United States, responsible for 89% of arsenic releases, 85% of mercury releases, and 84% of lead releases in 2004.
- The world's largest open pit, the Bingham Canyon mine in Utah, is visible to astronauts from outer space. It measures 1.5 kilometers (1 mile) deep and 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) across.
- 120,000 tons of toxic waste spilled from the Baia Mare gold mine in Romania in 2000, contaminating the drinking water of 2.5 million people and killing 1,200 tons of fish.
For further information
www.nodirtygold.org
www.fairtradefederation.org
www.globalwitness.org
www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=5825990n&tag=mncol;lst;2
Donna Distefano is a member of several important jewelry trade organizations, including JVC, MJSA, and AGTA.
The Jewelers Vigilance Committee (JVC) has been in existence since 1912, regulating the practices of the jewelry industry. Its members pledge to act in accordance with all applicable laws, represent their products accurately, and uphold the highest standards of ethics and integrity.
Incorporated in 1903, the Manufacturing Jewelers and Suppliers of America (MJSA) promotes professional excellence in the craft of jewelry making and design.
The American Gem Trade Association (AGTA) is a leading industry force dedicated to advancing the ethical promotion of natural colored gemstones and cultured pearls.
Diamond Empowerment Fund (DEF) Diamonds for Good Partner
The Diamonds for Good program was developed so that companies within the diamond jewelry industry could support DEF's mission of empowerment through education in the countries in which diamonds are sourced. The Empowerment Circle Seal – DEF's highest level of membership – and the Diamonds for Good Seal signify a company's membership.
Donna Distefano Ltd: Where Metal and Fire Meet Love. Our jewelry is not only beautiful, but ethically responsible.
Mission
The mission of Donna Distefano Ltd. is to create beautiful treasures that mark the events of a lifetime while respecting the earth and its population. Donna Distefano combines beautiful sustainable precious metals with fair trade gemstones and conflict free diamonds to create an unforgettable, inherently glamorous story told by the hands of a true goldsmith. We also work with customers to makeover jewelry from pieces they already own. Attention to detail, excellent craftsmanship, and a consistent high level of personalized service are the foundations of the company.
Stephanie March, on Donna Distefano jewelry : “How many things in the world are as good for people as they are beautiful? Give beauty, glamour, AND safety all in one tiny, precious piece. Now that is a great gift!”
Diamonds
Donna Distefano Ltd uses only natural untreated diamonds in all jewelry collections. Diamonds that weigh ½ carat and up are accompanied by certification from an independent testing laboratory, either the Gemological Institute of America or the International Gemological Institute. Donna Distefano Ltd is compliant with the Kimberley Process and continues to seek out diamond mining communities with ethical standards such as in Canada and Botswana.
For further information
www.nodirtygold.org
www.fairtradefederation.org
www.globalwitness.org
www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=5825990n&tag=mncol;lst;2
Donna Distefano is a member of several important jewelry trade organizations, including JVC, MJSA, and AGTA.
The Jewelers Vigilance Committee (JVC) has been in existence since 1912, regulating the practices of the jewelry industry. Its members pledge to act in accordance with all applicable laws, represent their products accurately, and uphold the highest standards of ethics and integrity.
Incorporated in 1903, the Manufacturing Jewelers and Suppliers of America (MJSA) promotes professional excellence in the craft of jewelry making and design.
The American Gem Trade Association (AGTA) is a leading industry force dedicated to advancing the ethical promotion of natural colored gemstones and cultured pearls.
Diamond Empowerment Fund (DEF) Diamonds for Good Partner
The Diamonds for Good program was developed so that companies within the diamond jewelry industry could support DEF's mission of empowerment through education in the countries in which diamonds are sourced. The Empowerment Circle Seal – DEF's highest level of membership – and the Diamonds for Good Seal signify a company's membership.
Donna Distefano Ltd: Where Metal and Fire Meet Love. Our jewelry is not only beautiful, but ethically responsible.
Mission
The mission of Donna Distefano Ltd. is to create beautiful treasures that mark the events of a lifetime while respecting the earth and its population. Donna Distefano combines beautiful sustainable precious metals with fair trade gemstones and conflict free diamonds to create an unforgettable, inherently glamorous story told by the hands of a true goldsmith. We also work with customers to makeover jewelry from pieces they already own. Attention to detail, excellent craftsmanship, and a consistent high level of personalized service are the foundations of the company.
Stephanie March, on Donna Distefano jewelry : “How many things in the world are as good for people as they are beautiful? Give beauty, glamour, AND safety all in one tiny, precious piece. Now that is a great gift!”
Luxury Recycling and Restoration
We also work with customers to makeover jewelry from pieces they already own to create custom, exceptional pieces. Heirlooms and antiques are restored to optimal form and function, or (if appropriate) refined to create the heirlooms of the future. New York Magazine acknowledged Donna Distefano as Best of 2010 for providing these services. InStyle Magazine featured this service in an article called “Making Over Your Jewelry”.
For further information
www.nodirtygold.org
www.fairtradefederation.org
www.globalwitness.org
www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=5825990n&tag=mncol;lst;2
Donna Distefano is a member of several important jewelry trade organizations, including JVC, MJSA, and AGTA.
The Jewelers Vigilance Committee (JVC) has been in existence since 1912, regulating the practices of the jewelry industry. Its members pledge to act in accordance with all applicable laws, represent their products accurately, and uphold the highest standards of ethics and integrity.
Incorporated in 1903, the Manufacturing Jewelers and Suppliers of America (MJSA) promotes professional excellence in the craft of jewelry making and design.
The American Gem Trade Association (AGTA) is a leading industry force dedicated to advancing the ethical promotion of natural colored gemstones and cultured pearls.
Diamond Empowerment Fund (DEF) Diamonds for Good Partner
The Diamonds for Good program was developed so that companies within the diamond jewelry industry could support DEF's mission of empowerment through education in the countries in which diamonds are sourced. The Empowerment Circle Seal – DEF's highest level of membership – and the Diamonds for Good Seal signify a company's membership.
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“Rock and Roll jewelry at
it's finest.”
- Joe Perry, Aerosmith -
“Donna’s Jewels really rock!”
- Gotham Magazine -
“One of the coolest sites to
shop online”
- InStyle Magazine -
“Best of New York 2010”
- New York Magazine
