Why We Started FTJCo

In 2005 we noticed that the jewellery industry had largely ignored the social shifts of the past few decades—like how much people are thinking of the environment and their impact on the earth in general. We realized that despite consumer demands for a more 'ethical' cup of coffee, the issue of conflict minerals, gold and diamond mining in luxury goods were largely unaddressed.

We wanted to do things differently. So we started a new kind of jewellery company that would design and produce luxury goods, that reflected the values we share with our customers. FTJCo is an inclusive company that combines ethically sourced, finely and locally made jewellery in a judgment-free environment.

On February 14th 2011 FTJCo proudly became the first and only jeweller in North America to produce fine jewellery using Certified Fairtrade Fairmined Gold. You can learn more about that here.

We remain committed to those environmental and social values we were founded on, and continue to work towards zero-impact luxury.

Who We Are

Ryan Taylor

Ryan is our Chief Designer (Production) and Co-Founder.

Ryan grew up in a mining family in Northern Ontario. His father, uncles and grandfathers each plied their trade underground. His Great Aunt Viola remains the only woman in the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame. From here Ryan took his inspiration to seek out and support the work of artisanal mining communities around the world.

A Graduate Goldsmith from George Brown's Jewellery Arts and Gemmology Program in Toronto, he continued his training under Master Goldsmith Karl Vigelius—who today remains a trusted mentor and advisor to Ryan and FTJCo.

Ryan also sits as an Executive committee member and Co-Chair to the Standards Committee of the Responsible Jewellery Council. He has even produced his own short documentary "The Last Gold Rush" available online.

Robin Gambhir

Robin is our CEO and Co-Founder.

Robin has over twenty years of experience in the jewellery industry and, having travelled the globe as a buyer, has deep experience in the international aspects of the industry. A programmer since 1983, Robin is in charge of the software and technology aspects of the company. He combines his business and technology experience in his role as CEO.

Robin holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Western Ontario and a graduate degree from the University of Toronto.

Responsible Jewellery Council Policy

We are a Member of the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC). The RJC is a standards-setting organisation that has been established to reinforce consumer confidence in the jewellery industry by promoting responsible ethical, human rights, social and environmental practices throughout the jewellery supply chain.

The RJC has developed a common platform of standards for the jewellery supply chain and credible mechanisms for verifying responsible business practices through third party auditing. we commit to operating our business according to the RJC principles and Code of practices. These are available at: www.responsiblejewellery.com in line with this policy, our commitment is to integrate ethical, human rights, social and environmental considerations into our day-to-day operations, business planning activities and decision making processes.