MISSION
Gold and diamonds are symbols of love and light and when transformed into jewellery they become a unique gift to celebrate your most special occasions.
There should be no negative energy of suppression or misuse of people or environment attached to your jewellery and we make it our mission to guarantee that the diamonds, gems and jewellery we hallmark are extracted safely and are manufactured under fair labour conditions and in total freedom.

Because that is what a symbol of love and light should be: FREE!

The Jeweltree Foundation therefor aims to promote FREE trade for small artisanal miners and mining cooperatives and help them with easy and direct access to the international market, market information and new developments.
We certify and promote their products, assist them in getting the highest possible market price and where possible, additional premiums.
We also promote transparency and international best practice standards within the industry.

How we operate

We assist mining cooperatives and individuals in getting organised for interantional trading.
Our certification sets certain standards that aim to improve the lives of the people involved and the environment they work in.
Standards are set out in cooperation with internationally operating NGO’s such as IPIS - a Kimberley Process auditor - and Capacity for Development - an organisation that aims to improve the development capacities for people in third world countries.
The certification standards are audited by us and our partner organisations.


Founder: Mike Angenent
Mike founded the Jeweltree Foundation back in 2008. He is a Certified Diamond Grader and Graduate Gemmologist from the Diamond High Council in Antwerp and holds a Master’s degree in Arts and Sciences from the University of Maastricht specialising in ethical decision making processes. He founded both the Jeweltree Foundation and Open Source Minerals, an ethical diamond and gemstone trading company.
www.opensourceminerals.com

Board of Directors

Chairman: John Courtens *
John has a senior background in supply chain management and project management.
He holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Technology in Eindhoven.
john@jeweltreefoundation.org

Treasurer: Giet Broers
Giet is an accountant and has his own accountancy firm in Maastricht, The Netherlands. He advises business regarding accountancy and tax regulations.
ewfbroers@jeweltreefoundation.org
www.broers-administraties.nl

Secretary: Hedwig Geertsen
Hedwig has over 10 years of experience in Human Resource management and counceling, does financial plannings and assists people with communication disabilities.
hedwig@jeweltreefoundation.org


* (an initial agreement has been reached, the actual statuary changes have yet to be made)

Management

General Management: Mike Angenent
Mike has been the chairman for this foundation for the last two year and director of Open Source Minerals, a Jeweltree License Holder. To safeguard the independency of the Jeweltree Foundation he has steped down from the board and accepted a management function in the Jeweltree Foundation.
mike@jeweltreefoundation.org

Public Relations / Fund Raising: Michel Beankens
Michel has been a former fundraiser and CFO for Vredeseilanden, a Belgium NGO aiming to improve the lives of farmers in third world countries. He also worked for Velt, a Dutch NGO focussed on ecological living and gardening.
michel@jeweltreefoundation.org

Capacity Building / auditing: Jan Cappelle
Jan has been working for IPIS (International Peace Information Service) on corporate accountability and on capacity building. He now works for Capacity for Development. This organisation specialises in capacity building of African organisations and local people.
jan@jeweltreefoundation.org

Auditing: Thomas Siepelmeijer
Initiator and founder of the Eco Andina Foundation in Argentina. Realised the first fair traded diamonds from a womens community mining organisation in Lesotho and helped establish a polishing coop in Surat, India. He is active in small scale mining for over 25 years.
Thomas is an European Geologist Title No 866; European Federation of Geologists (EFG) Brussels. He is a competent person according to National Instrument NI 43-101 for mineral resources classification (Canada). European Geologists are recognised by the mineral reporting authorities in Australia, Canada, South Africa and London as professionals accredited to sign reports on mineral reserves and resources within their area of expertise and in the valuation of mining companies quoted on the Stock Exchanges. www.siepelmeyer.com

Advisers to the Board:

Greg Valerio
Pioneer and foundational to the international development and realisation of fair trade jewellery and traceable supply chains from mine to retail. Founder of Cred Jewellery and co-founder of the Alliance for Responsible Mining (ARM) and the first Ethical Bullion Company. He is currently working for the Fair Trade Labeling Organisation (FLO) and the Fairtrade Foundation in the UK.
Greg's Blog

Vivien Johnston
Initiator and founder of Fifi Bijoux Ethical Jewellery and finalist in the Cosmopolitan women of the year 2009 awards.

Alain Biesterveld
Alain worked for the Antwerp Diamond List, a b to b magazine for the diamond sector and was the marketing manager for Nenoir diamonds, an ethical diamond brand that guarantees full traceability and first private ownership for Canadian diamonds.

Matthew Sathekge
Cambridge graduate, consultant and course developer for Complete Diamond Educations in Johannesburg, South Africa.
www.completediamond.co.za

Partner Organizations: