For over thirty years, I have walked the jagged line between the glittering allure of the luxury jewellery world and the brutal, dust-choked reality of the mines that feed it. I have stood at the edge of pits in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and South America, watching children sift through toxic silt for a sliver of gold that might end up in a window on Bond Street. If you think this is an exaggeration, think again

When people ask me why I do what I do—why I’ve spent a lifetime fighting for Fairtrade gold and now, the ultimate vision of PeaceGold—it is because I cannot unsee those faces. Jewellery is supposed to be a symbol of love, of commitment, of the highest human aspirations. Yet, for too long, the industry has been built on a foundation of ecological devastation and human exploitation.

Today, as we stand in our Ethical Jewellery House, surrounded by the hum of the bench and the scent of polishing, we are doing more than just making rings. We are conducting an act of alchemy. We are turning a broken system into a vessel for peace.

A Legacy of Mining: Coal to Gold

It is with immense pride that I can say our Bishop Auckland location, the PeaceGold Ethical Jewellery House, now stands as the official Headquarters of the PeaceGold Initiative.

Locating our global headquarters here in the North East of England is an act of deep and beautiful symbiosis. This region was once the proud heart of England’s coal mining industry—an industry that defined communities for generations before it was systematically shut down by Margaret Thatcher’s government, leaving behind a legacy of economic hardship and a profound sense of injustice.

By basing an international initiative here, we are, in some small way, connecting two mining worlds across time and geography. We are using a region that knows the pain of industrial collapse and the struggle for miners' dignity to play our part in securing justice for the small-scale gold miners of the Congo. From this corner of County Durham, we are coordinating a global effort to redefine the value of precious metals.

The Evolution: From Fairtrade to PeaceGold

The road to this headquarters has been a lifelong journey. For over a decade, I championed the creation of the Fairtrade Gold system—a struggle for which I was honoured to receive an MBE. That story of rebellion and persistence is documented in my book, Making Trouble: Fighting for Fairtrade Jewellery. However, even after achieving that milestone, I realised that the hardest work lay ahead.

The transition from a donor-funded non-profit PeaceGold project in the Eastern DRC, partnering with Peace Direct and Centre for Resolution Conflits, to a dedicated social enterprise has been our greatest challenge to date. Moving away from the safety net of grants meant stepping into the arena of the market, where we must prove that justice can be profitable.

Our mission through PeaceGold Congo is singular and transformative: creating the value chain that transforms conflict gold into PeaceGold.

We have faced the daunting task of building a model where commercial profitability and sustainable social impact are not just compatible, but are the dual and co-equal pillars of our existence. It is a delicate balancing act. If we fail to be profitable, we cannot fund the peace and justice work in the DRC. If we fail to deliver justice, our profit becomes as hollow as the rest of the industry.

PeaceGold Merury Free Gold Processing - All PeaceGold will be mercury free at no extra cost to the consumer.

Our Social Impact: Not Just A Theory of Change

Our impact isn't accidental; it is engineered. We operate across three strategic pillars, each mapped to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This is the "Theory of Change" that disrupts illicit gold trade and replaces it with transparent, ethical value chains.

Pillar 1: Peace & Dialogue 🕊️

Goal: Transforming conflict zones into formal, ethical value chains.

● Conflict Mitigation: Training former combatants in conflict resolution and providing reintegration paths into formalized mining cooperatives. (SDG 16: Peace, Justice & Strong Institutions ⚖️)

● Formalization: Registering cooperatives and integrating them into ethical trade channels to eliminate illicit financial flows and corruption. (SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals 🤝)

Pillar 2: Environmental Stewardship 🌱

Goal: Protecting the biodiversity and health of mining landscapes.

● Mercury-Free Processing: Introducing clean technologies to eliminate water pollution and protect workers. (SDG 6: Clean Water & Sanitation 💧)

● Land Rehabilitation: Restoring mining sites to preserve biodiversity and ecological health. (SDG 15: Life on Land 🌳)

Pillar 3: Thriving Communities 🏘️

Goal: Investing in human potential and economic resilience.

● Gender Equality: Promoting women into leadership roles within COOPs and eliminating child labour from the supply chain. (SDG 5: Gender Equality ♀️)

● Livelihood Improvement: Ensuring decent employment and workers' rights, coupled with a Community Development Fund for local projects. (SDG 8: Decent Work & Economic Growth 📈)

● Health & Wellbeing: Reducing toxin exposure and improving occupational health standards for the entire workforce. (SDG 3: Good Health & Well-being 🏥)

Impact Distribution Strategy

In our social enterprise model, we ensure that the wealth generated at the source returns to the earth and its people in the most effective way possible:

● 40% Livelihood Improvement: Direct economic empowerment for miners and their families.

● 30% Environmental Restoration: Actively fixing the scars left on the earth by previous mining generations.

● 20% Conflict Mitigation: Funding the dialogue necessary to maintain peace in volatile regions.

● 10% Gender & Inclusion: Breaking systemic barriers for women in the artisanal sector.

The Jewellery ReLOVEution

While the work begins in the earth of the Congo, its final expression is found in the Ethical Jewellery House. This is where the upstream struggle for justice meets the downstream art of the bench. We call this the Jewellery ReLoveution—a commitment to reclaiming the word "love" from the clutches of an exploitative industry and returning it to the hands of the makers and the hearts of the wearers.

The Design of Beauty: The Purpose of Ethics.

The jewellery industry reached a historic crossroads during the 2000’s with the explosion of conflict minerals awareness and the introduction of full traceability such as Fairtrade & Fairmined Gold. This progress has stalled significantly in the eyes of the jewellery customer. The Fairtrade movement has failed to promote its most glamorous product, Fairmined Gold is simply too expensive and the co-option of the ethical narrative by the corporate sector has turned the optimism of our early pioneering into a smorgasbord of ‘everything is ethical' and quite honestly boring and confusing greenwashing. We are witnessing the slow, necessary demise of large-scale diamond mining—a sector that carries a legacy of ecological destruction and colonial damage.

In its place, we are embracing the future: lab-grown diamonds. Let us be under no illusions: natural diamonds will increasingly become a niche purchase for the uber-wealthy, a vestige of an old world. Conversely, lab-grown diamonds democratise beauty. They open up high-quality, technically superior stones to ordinary people without the shadow of exploitation.

This is where my partnership with Kate Seow thrives. Kate is a goldsmith and one of our committed jewellers upon whom the PeaceGold Jewellery making offering is being built. Together, we combine ancient methods with rigorous, modern design standards. By setting these diamonds into PeaceGold, we merge the high-tech future of carbon science with the ethical weight of the earth. The result is jewellery that is physically, ethically, and spiritually "clean."

The art of jewellery needs to be back at street level. Our true value is not in high boutique fashion houses, who lock up design in Geneva, Paris, London or New York. Jewellery is dynamic, creative and was once accessible to ordinary people. Ethical designer makers are the punk of our trade.

The Art of the Remodel: Breathing Life into the Old

I often see people coming into our Ethical Jewellery House with a drawer full of "old" jewellery—pieces left by grandmothers or chains that no longer fit a person’s life. To most, this is scrap. To us, it is a sacred opportunity. Remodelling is the ultimate act of sustainability and recycling. We aren’t just melting metal; we are preserving stories. We use Kate’s mastery as a goldsmith to ensure that the new piece is designed and created to last another three generations, connecting the past to a peaceful present.

For PeaceGold Jewellery Making Classes click on image.

A Workshop for the Community: Teaching the Craft

Our vision for the Ethical Jewellery House has always been bigger than a retail space; it is a sanctuary for craft. This vision is brought to life through our Jewellery Making Classes, where Kate Seow also serves as our lead teacher.

These classes invite the community into our world, offering a seat at the bench to hobbyists, couples making their own wedding bands, or local residents discovering a hidden talent. But there is a deeper layer: we are committed to using these classes as a tool for social impact, providing skills and opportunities for at-risk young adults in County Durham. By having a goldsmith like Kate lead these sessions, we ensure that the artisanal tradition survives as a force for good, upskilling our community while advancing our mission in the Congo.

The Path Forward: 2026 and Beyond

As we look at our forecasts for the coming year, I am struck not by the numbers, but by the potential. Every sale of a diamond ring, every repair of a beloved necklace, and every student who sits at our bench is a vote for a different kind of world.

The old ways of extraction and anonymity are dying. The new way—the path of transparency, artisanal excellence, and radical peace—is just beginning.

I invite you to join us on this journey. Whether you visit us in our Ethical Jewellery House, book a class, or choose an engagement ring, you are becoming part of a movement. If you cannot visit our Bishop Auckland Jewellery House, I am pleased to announce that my website www.valerio-jewellery.com has had a make-over and relaunched this January 2026. There you will be able to choose Fairtrade Gold and Lab grown diamond jewellery, or if you don’t see anything that is quite right, you can always elect to contact us and we have a design service that works at an extra-local level.

Together, we are proving that the most beautiful things in the world don't have to cost the earth. We are proving that jewellery can, quite literally, be a force for peace.

Welcome to the world of the purest jewellery.

Greg Valerio MBE Founder, PeaceGold & Valerio Jewellery

The Alchemy of PeaceGold