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Coal Pendant w/ Duck Design

Coal Pendant w/ Duck Design

Regular price $12.95 USD
Regular price Sale price $12.95 USD
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Coal, an unexciting derivative of carbon found deep in the earth, has been carefully hand-carved and polished into these classic round pendants with abstract duck etchings. Commonly used for fuel, this black sedimentary rock makes a unique piece to add to your jewelry collection or give as a gift to that special someone in your life.

Handmade by young artisans from the Morca Coal Project in Colombia through an effort initiated by the Colombian government to discourage child labor and train young men in new professions.

  • Measures 1-3/4” diameter and 1/8” thick
  • Suspended on a 36” black cord

Handmade in Colombia and fair trade imported.


Morca Coal Project
Colombia

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The community of Morca, a mountainous area in the town of Sogamoso, Colombia depends heavily on coal mining to sustain its livelihoods. Casualties and deaths are common in these mines, either due to mining-collapses or the inhalation of poisonous gases. In 1995, the Colombian government established the Morca-Boyaca workshop to keep young men and boys out of the hazardous mines. The boys from the area were encouraged to attend school and learn the craft of carving coal into beautiful pieces of jewelry.

Excessive and long-term mining in this small town of Morca has made farming impossible, leaving the local residents with coal mines as the only source of employment. Men and boys responsible for supporting large families are often the victims of these unforgiving mines and unsafe working conditions. The Morca – Boyaca project aims at being able to eradicate child labor in the mines and provide these young boys with a better and healthier source of living.

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The Colombian government, therefore, has been building networks with several marketing agencies and importers of handicrafts to boost the market for the coal jewelry. The Morca – Boyaca project is one such example of alliances that relies on One World Projects in the U.S. and the National Pedagogical University in Bogota to help expand the project and find suitable and more stable markets.

About the Artisans

Ceramica Quinua, an artisan cooperative known for its social and environmental responsibility, offers steady work to six workshops and 36 families in Ayachucho, Peru. Ceramica Quinua is dedicated to decreasing the use of firewood to reduce deforestation, and as such, works primarily with clay, which is extracted from the land in a controlled manner to avoid erosion.

The artisans shape and fire their pieces in home-based workshops during their nine-hour workday. Children often sit in on the workshops during their free time in so they may learn the trade that's been passed from ancestor to ancestor. The organization also takes pride in offering health care for its craftsmen, and for sharing its environmental knowledge and conservation techniques with students at public schools.

The Quinua district is characterized by the eucalyptus and alder-scented atmosphere of its mountain and forest landscapes. The name Quinua is derived from the Qenwal plant, said to be comparable in beauty only to the Quinuin women. The unique flora and fauna that inhabit the territory are fast becoming a major tourist attraction.  Unfortunately, deforestation and pollution from paint chemicals are threatening their existence.


Ceramic artisan from Quinua Peru firing the ceramic kiln

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