. >> ernesto raez luna is a former adviser to peru's ministry of environment. >> we know that many people engage in illegal extraction will not be able to become formal. you need to provide alternatives - and also training so they can do something else. >> in tres islas - some members are trying other ways of making a living - like harvesting brazil nuts from the giant castana trees that grow in the peruvian amazon. >> but with brazil nuts averaging a few dollars per pound - and gold prices well over a thousand dollars an ounce - will efforts like this be enough to put a dent in illegal mining? >> there is hope because humans can do great things, and the great things that we do don't need to be just destructive things. but the key element is knowledge. we need to know in order to act. >> coming up - did the gold in your ring play a part in this kind of destruction? >> gold. sought after for its beauty. but at what price? how does a buyer know the real cost of a gold ring? >> these are the rings. >> these are the rings. this is what we show our customers when they come in for an appointmen