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Fair-Trade Activist Greg Valerio Awarded MBE in 2016 Honours List

Jan 6, 2016 1:58 AM   By Rapaport News
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RAPAPORT... Fair-trade activist and jeweler Greg Valerio was included in the Queen’s New Year Honours List for 2016, which recognizes achievements and service of “extraordinary” people across the U.K..

Valerio was made a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to the UK and fair-trade gold sectors in Colombia and East Africa, according to a list of recipients published on a U.K. government website December 30.

The maverick and social entrepreneur owns VALERIO Jewellery, an online ethical and fair-trade fine jewelry brand. In 1996 he founded CRED Jewellery, which was the U.K. and Europe’s first jewelry company to retail fair-trade green gold and platinum jewelry collections, according to a biography on his blog. In 2004 he introduced fully-certified green gold wedding rings to the U.K. in partnership with Oro Verde.

“The great challenge we now face is to forge a new luxury jewelry narrative that connects the aspirational emotion of the purchase with the dignity of the source,” Valerio wrote on his blog December 31. “This is true luxury jewelry, a legacy of peace, justice and prosperity for the communities at the source and a continued celebration of design, creativity and love in the gift that is given.
Tags: colombia, CRED Jewellery, East Africa, Fair Trade, fairtrade, Greg Valerio, New Year Honours, Rapaport News, u.k., VALERIO Jewellery
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