In recent years, the political issues involved with gemstones—like the “blood diamonds” that financed wars in Sierra Leone, Angola, and the Democratic Republic of Congo or the rubies that support the military junta in Burma that make ethical consumers concern more about sustainable products. Meanwhile, the commonly conveyed image of gemstone mining is of low earnings, hard working conditions and environmental impacts. One approach of resolving these problems is to raise awareness about the choice of materials and developing frameworks (e.g. ethical-, responsible-, ‘fair trade’ gemstones) that strive to promote sound environmental management and greater economic benefits for mining communities.

Consumer pressure and company reputation lead to further understanding of gem sourcing and jewelers now offer "conflict free" stones. We aim to understand companies that are ethically and environmentally sourcing their gemstones while encouraging others to go green. It is a collaborative awareness platform that gathering data together in a transparent way for us to look at the many factors of sustainability of gem and jewelry consumption - including the gem sourcing and mining, the process of turning gemstone into a jewelry product, the working conditions of the people and the total carbon footprint of the product.