Using ethically sourced materials has been a hallmark of Tabayer since the jewelry brand debuted in 2021, and now the company has taken those efforts to the next level with ambassador membership in Fairmined.
Fairmined is a globally recognized certification for artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM). Mines that are certified Fairmined by meeting certain social and environmental standards receive a premium along with the price for their gold, which is invested in projects beneficial to their communities.
As a Fairmined ambassador, Tabayer commits to using only Fairmined gold in its jewelry. The decision to do so came after Tabayer founder Nigora Tokhtabayeva and her team visited the Fairmined-certified Chede mine in Colombia and learned about the impact the initiative has on both the environment and local communities.
Tabayer showed Fair Gold, a short film (directed by Errol Rainey) commemorating the Chede trip, at an event on Sept. 11 in New York City that included a panel discussion featuring Will Kahn, editor of online jewelry resource Will’s Notebook, and Gina D’Amato, executive director of the Alliance for Responsible Mining.
“Last week’s screening of Fair Gold was an incredibly emotional experience,” Tokhtabayeva tells JCK. “The film took us deep into the heart of Colombia’s Chede mine, where I witnessed firsthand the connection between the land, the people, and the gold we sourced for Tabayer last fall. It was incredible to share why this commitment to ethically sourced Fairmined gold is so deeply personal to me. The beauty of the landscape and the dignity of the community have left an indelible mark on my heart.”
Tabayer’s signature collection, Oera, was inspired by Inanna’s knot, an ancient Mesopotamian symbol of protection and fertility. The introductory collection had 15 designs, made of yellow or white gold (though mostly yellow), some with diamonds and some without.
New editions of the Oera line have featured rose gold (Edition 2), different volumes and structural silhouettes (Edition 3), and colors, thanks to including red jasper, agate, and chalcedony (Edition 4). Pictured in this story are some of the newest Oera pieces, crafted exclusively with Fairmined gold.
Top: Oera Multi Orb earrings in 18k Fairmined yellow gold with 0.45 ct. t.w. diamonds, $9,150; Tabayer
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