Moyo Gems: Everything You Need to Know About this Ethical Gemstone Collaboration

How are the Moyo Gems traceable?

The Moyo-approved miners are invited to participate in ‘market days’, with vetted local brokers. All sales are voluntary and it’s up to the miner whether to sell through the Moyo system or not.

Once sold, the stones are bagged in branded tamper-proof bags, duties/taxes are paid by the approved exporter, and the gemstones are delivered to program trading partners, and then onto us. This important because Moyo Gems are traceable with documentation to us and ensures we can be a truly ethical supplier for t

We buy from one of Moyo’s trading partners, Maison PIAT – a highly esteemed gem house in France – they are fully RJC (Responsible Jewelry Counsel) certified and they are one of three companies with access to Moyo gemstones right now. To become RJC certified, your program is fully audited, and while no system is perfect, RJC is one of the primary industry councils that holds weight because they are very thorough. This gives us confidence in the Moyo process and their traceabilty.

Why do you love Moyo Gems?

There is an incredible spectrum of spectacularly beautiful colors – from very vibrant pinks, purples, blues, oranges and teals to really distintive smoky grey-greens. I love the smokiness in the colors and their mesmerizing color-change qualities. These beautiful gems really showcase the variety of colors in gemstones from this region.

What does this collaboration mean to you?

Catherine Cason and I have been collaborating since 2016 – we’ve had the pleasure of working together on some amazing projects with some really special people.

We wanted this collaboration to be centered around meaning rather than a stone shape or design aspect. The vision behind Misfit is a company that partners with people downstream and upstream in the supply chain to help create positive change and raise the standards of what sourcing looks like. This year, I was introduced to the Moyo Gems program through PIAT Gems, and it embodies everything we want for the future. They’re focused on female economic empowerment and education and are raising the standards for traceability and ethical mining conditions. And the fact that our entire design team for this chall is also female makes this pop-up feel very special.

These designers are all such phenomenal talent with their own unique aesthetic. Each one of these ladies is an independent dynamo, forging their path in this industry.