Fair trade Focus: Cape Gem

Bring some sparkle into your life with Cape Gem jewellery. These eye popping pieces will have heads turning wherever you wear them. Jenny Butler writes.

Cape Gem was set up in 2006 by Carol Lovell after she spotted an opportunity to import handmade accessories from Cape Town. There is a large range of bejewelled and beaded necklaces, bracelets and earrings, each with their own touch of individuality.

Carol Lovell, said: “I was very aware that the quality of the jewellery design in Cape Town was largely unknown in the UK (so much of the high street offering is from China and other parts of Asia) and I wanted to support local designers I met whose work I felt would appeal to the UK market. The designers are all well regarded in Cape Town; some employ others to make up the jewellery, others use family.”

They also sell Mielie products. Mielie is Afrikaans for the word corn and corn is the staple diet of most South Africans, and probably the first item on most of the weaver’s shopping list. Once a week a team manager travels to the textile mills to collect the fabric strips to make the Mielie products. The weavers work from home, thereby saving on transport and childcare costs.  As well as providing an ethical wage for the workers, Mielie profits help ensure the welfare of their staff. 50% of Mielie costs on average – across all the bag types – are taken up in weavers’ wages.

Any profit is ploughed back to projects they support in the township. The food garden in Khayelitsha is an initiative to create an organic food garden for the weavers and their families.

Cape Gem

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