I would like to put up some links, should you, my intelligent readers, care to investigate this "scandal" further and draw your own opinions and conclusions from it. I am linking to articles about coral bans, preservation, mining methods, blogs about Etsy, actual forum threads on Etsy and other bits and pieces I think you may find interesting in furthering your interest on the matter.
I am not saying "You should read this right now because I said"... just providing further information should you so choose.
I am also going to once again put up my personal opinion on the matter.
I WILL NOT BE BUYING ANYTHING USING THE ETSY SITE EVER AGAIN.
I would like to encourage others to do the same, since I believe and have for some time that they treat they handmade artisans like crap. But, you be the judge on this one. I know my ruling for myself.
Here are the links.
http://www.newsweek.com/2010/09/27/coral-ban-hurts-italian-craftsmen.html
An article about a coral ban and how it is effecting local business.
http://blog.auctionbytes.com/cgi-bin/blog/blog.pl?/pl/2010/10/1287376895.html
An article someone did online about the outrage over this Etsy Storque blog.
http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6658582
http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6658218
http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6659297
http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6659498
http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6660749
http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6658291
http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6657695
http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6659467
http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6657333
A variety of threads from the Etsy forums on the topic.... some more about being angry for being silenced and some about why the article upset them.
http://www.etsy.com/storque/craftivism/declaring-coral-too-precious-to-wear-10844/
The actual Storque blog post that started the whole thing.
http://www.jckonline.com/2010/09/28/jck-asks-temple-st-clair
A feature article about the blog poster on another site. People have been blasting her in the comments section. I'm not condoning nor condemning this behavior. My personal belief is it was Etsy's stupid mistake and not hers.
http://www.ehow.com/how-does_4967473_how-moonstones-mined.html#ixzz132rseUKz
This one was posted in one of the angry comments on the above blog in response to her featured sketch of moonstone earrings. I found it an interesting read for the sake of learning about where my supplies come from.
http://etsybitch.blogspot.com/
One of my favorite blogs for all issues with Etsy. Just a smattering of how angry Etsy has made its handmade artisans.
http://www.coral.org/node/127
A great site that talks about coral, its endangerment, environmental causes and reason why it is being harvested. If you really want to take a stand on the issue of coral preservation, this is an excellent resource.
That is all dear readers. I leave you to daw your own opinions and conclusions. Any comments on this you wish to leave would be greatly appreciated. Add to the dialogue. Agree to disagree and things will go well.
Showing posts with label controversy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label controversy. Show all posts
Friday, October 22, 2010
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Etsy and the "Coralgate scandal"
Alright, I've kind of been avoiding this blog entry since I didn't really want to bring more attention to the site I left behind. I've seen more trouble on there than is worth mentioning and spent more money on their fees than anywhere else. I left for many reasons and I'm very glad I left before all of this transpired. That being said, I have finally decided that perhaps I DO need to write this blog entry.
*takes a deep breath*
Let me begin with why I left Etsy in the first place. I was a member of the Etsy community for I'd say about 4 years. In that 4 years I had experienced marginal success. My jewelry sold alright... though the sales seemed to come in spurts. My costume orders were high from mid-September to mid-October but often times I found that I could not always keep up with customers demands and eventually stopped taking custom orders there.
One particularily low day, I realized how much of my actual profit had been going to Etsy over the years. I also stopped to realize that I had not sold an item in any shop for almost 9 months straight. And I realized what drives the Etsy machine was relisting and charging fees. At that point, I decided I was done with them. The jewelry market there was swamped and I just didn't have the money to keep up with the "big Etsy fish" anymore.
I was told about Artfire by a friend I had met on Etsy. I've been there ever since and have nothing listed in any of my Etsy shops. I have shopped there a little bit since. That will stop. From now on, if there's an artist I like and want to purchase things from ad they are only on Etsy, I will kindly convo them and ask them to email me privately to arrange the sale. Etsy will get no more of my money.
Now, onto the "coralgate scandal". First off, I want to go on the record as saying this is my OPINION on what has transpired and what I think of it all. So, before you all blast me for it.... keep in mind I am entitled to my opinions and this is in fact my blog. So, while you don't have to agree with me, posting comments blasting me for not believing the same thing you do... well it's just tactless and rude. That being said, I do not believe any of my readers would do such a thing. You all seem like civilized people who can agree to disagree with me without getting personal.I don't want to rehash the entire situation in detail so... the short version.
Etsy has a blog calles the Storque. They invited a guest jewelry designer to write a blog to be featured on the Storque. The blog she wrote was about coral as being an endangered species and how she believes we should all boycott coral beads and jewelry made from it etc. People on Etsy got all upset because Etsy did not put a disclaimer on this blog post stating they do not necessarily hold the same beliefs and the poster. There are all kinds of things wrong with what Etsy has done and caused with this blog post. So, as I display pictures from Etsy artisan shops that display coral, I'll dissect the pieces of this scandal and give my opinion on them.
Point 1: Etsy should not have posted this opinionated blog entry without a disclaimer unless they share the viewpoint of the poster. It has been pointed out by numerous Etsy sellers since this whole scandal errupted. Even large newspaper and broadcast mediums put up disclaimers when they featured or interview someone with an opinion on a controversial issue. Heck, telvision stations put up disclaimers before infomercials on late night television for crying out loud! This is standard practice and for good reason. And it's not a difficult thing to do nor would it cost them any more or less money that it did to put up the blog entry. Common sense people!
Point 2: If Etsy did/does in fact agree with the poster view point, they should have banned coral from the site prior to the entry being posted. I don't mind if a gourp of individuals wants to take a stand or support a cause they believe in. But don't do it half-assed and just because you heard someone tell you a little piece of the truth about the issue. If you want to take a stand on an issue, do the research yourself and decide if it aligns with you and your beliefs before jumping on someone's band wagon. Activists and even just regular everday schmos will in fact selectively edit the facts in order to get more people to follow their cause. Look into it before joining. Then, make your decisions accordingly. Be an intelligent adult about it.
Point 3: By not doing either of the above points, Etsy has essentially alienated their sellers. They are allowing a featured artist to essentially tell all the readers to boycott products made from coral which in turn makes the actual sellers on Etsy who do sell and use coral look like environment moronic monsters. This is what has everyone on Etsy pissed. It's costing them sales and thus is going to drive business away from Etsy. Kind of shooting themselves in the foot aren't they? Since it's the artists on Etsy that have created the name, recognition as well as generated all that revenue. The revenue that pays the Etsy administration's salaries. Hmmmmmmm....
Point 4: While Etsy has acknowledged that it has upset it's artists and has attempted a half-assed apology stating that the above point was not their intention, they have done NOTHING to atone for it. The blog post is STILL there. Perhaps the deepest cut of all. They will not acknowledge they made a mistake. They will not do anything to defend what they did nor are they doing anything to fix it. I guess it would be one thing if they had taken a stand and said "No, we have nothing wrong and here's why" but they haven't even done that. They just acknowledge they've made people angry and then move on as if nothing has/was/is happening. Wow. Salt in wound there eh?
There are several other points that many Etsians are arguing, all of which I see as completely and totally valid. I do not feel I need to discuss any more of them in great detail because really... I think it's pretty clear here that Etsy screwed up and won't admit it. While I have previously stated I have nothing listed on Etsy now nor will I ever again for completely different reasons, I would not like to state for the record.... I WILL NOT BE BUYING ANYTHING OFF OF THE ETSY SITE EVER AGAIN. If I want something from a artist over there, I will contact the artist directing to arrange the sale. I will NOT allow any of my hard earned money to the Etsy admin. I WILL continue to support the artists if they are willing to work with me OFF ETSY.
So, there you have it. Feel free to comment, add, whatever. Remember, this is my opinion and I felt it necessary to express it.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
The "Green" movement and its effect on jewelry making~ Part 2 Gemstones
Welcome back, readers! Here is part two in my series exploring the effect that the 'green' movement is having on jewelry makers. I would like to explore the realm of gemstones as today's topics.
I know many jewelry designers and creators, myself included, love to work with gemstones. Whether they are in bead form, cabachons or faceted stones, there's just something about a gemstone that is unique and attracting to the eye.
To start with, there are typically two types of gemstones on the market today: natural gemstones straight from the earth and man made or grown gemstones from labratories. These two options in and of themselves can often spark controversy. So, let's take them seperately, starting with natural gemstones.
Natural gemstones, like another other mineral in the earth, are a limited resource. Since these minerals occur naturally in our earth, this means that is can take thousands of year and the perfect conditions for some of these minerals to build back up into the stones we recognize as gemstones. So, while the earth is still capable of producing more of these mineral deposits, it is a very lengthy and condition specific task.
With that being said, there does not seem to be a visable end to the supply of many gemstones at this point in time. I have not found any information about gemstone depletion aside from an article about Tanzanite. Many tourist spots across the US and around the world have mines where tourists themselves can mine, dig and pan for precious and semi precious gemstones. I myself have done this time and time again. It's an enjoyable activity! And it's nice to see exactly where your gemstones and beads are coming from. It can also teach you a lot about the properties of certain stones. For example, mining your own opal can very quickly teach a person how very fragile this mineral is. The tendency of veins of opal in rock to crack and shatter while being dislodged from the earth is a clear indication of what care one must take with a ring displaying a fragile opal. I've had many a friend who have had their prized opal rings crack and shatter.
There's a lot of controversy surrounding the mining of gemstones like rubies, diamonds and emeralds. In countries outside of the US where these stones are mined, the workers and work conditions are not what they ought to be. Because of this, many jewelrs are looking for what are called "conflict free" gemstones to use. An excellent source for more information regarding this is the following link: http://www.brilliantearth.com/about_products/
Synthetic, man made or labratory grown gemstones are different in that they are not naturally occuring in the earth itself. Scientists and geologists have done the research and discovered methods of growing these mineral deposits in controlled labratory environments. Thus, they have created man made rubies, emeralds, diamonds and sapphires. Much of today's commericially sold jewelry is actually made utilizing these stones. After all, they look the same, have the same properties and the cost tends to be much lower. There is less labor involved with growing gemstones versus mining them from the earth.
So, there's a little more information and a really goo resource on the topic of gemstones. If any of my readers have more information or some informative links or resources, please leave that infor in the comments section so I can update and better inform my other readers. Feel free to add!
I know many jewelry designers and creators, myself included, love to work with gemstones. Whether they are in bead form, cabachons or faceted stones, there's just something about a gemstone that is unique and attracting to the eye.
To start with, there are typically two types of gemstones on the market today: natural gemstones straight from the earth and man made or grown gemstones from labratories. These two options in and of themselves can often spark controversy. So, let's take them seperately, starting with natural gemstones.
Natural gemstones, like another other mineral in the earth, are a limited resource. Since these minerals occur naturally in our earth, this means that is can take thousands of year and the perfect conditions for some of these minerals to build back up into the stones we recognize as gemstones. So, while the earth is still capable of producing more of these mineral deposits, it is a very lengthy and condition specific task.
With that being said, there does not seem to be a visable end to the supply of many gemstones at this point in time. I have not found any information about gemstone depletion aside from an article about Tanzanite. Many tourist spots across the US and around the world have mines where tourists themselves can mine, dig and pan for precious and semi precious gemstones. I myself have done this time and time again. It's an enjoyable activity! And it's nice to see exactly where your gemstones and beads are coming from. It can also teach you a lot about the properties of certain stones. For example, mining your own opal can very quickly teach a person how very fragile this mineral is. The tendency of veins of opal in rock to crack and shatter while being dislodged from the earth is a clear indication of what care one must take with a ring displaying a fragile opal. I've had many a friend who have had their prized opal rings crack and shatter.
There's a lot of controversy surrounding the mining of gemstones like rubies, diamonds and emeralds. In countries outside of the US where these stones are mined, the workers and work conditions are not what they ought to be. Because of this, many jewelrs are looking for what are called "conflict free" gemstones to use. An excellent source for more information regarding this is the following link: http://www.brilliantearth.com/about_products/
Synthetic, man made or labratory grown gemstones are different in that they are not naturally occuring in the earth itself. Scientists and geologists have done the research and discovered methods of growing these mineral deposits in controlled labratory environments. Thus, they have created man made rubies, emeralds, diamonds and sapphires. Much of today's commericially sold jewelry is actually made utilizing these stones. After all, they look the same, have the same properties and the cost tends to be much lower. There is less labor involved with growing gemstones versus mining them from the earth.
So, there's a little more information and a really goo resource on the topic of gemstones. If any of my readers have more information or some informative links or resources, please leave that infor in the comments section so I can update and better inform my other readers. Feel free to add!
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