ethical jewellery resource

Can "Recycled Gold" Be an Ethical Gold Source At All?

Saskia Shutt, guest editor, Ethical Metalsmiths, May 2023

In this piece, guest author Saskia Shutt gets into the details of why she believes people shouldn’t be touting “recycled gold” as a more responsible option than newly mined gold.

https://ethicalmetalsmiths.org/blog/can-recycled-gold-be-an-ethical-gold-source-at-all

Responsible, recycled or mined gold, who’s using what?

thefrenchjewelrypost.com, Sandrine Merle, 09 January 2023

Over the past 10 years, most designers and jewelers have opted for responsible gold. Some defend mined gold, extracted by local communities which have adopted respectful practices, and bearing labels such as Fairmined, Fairtrade, SMO (Single Mine Origin) for larger-scaled mines, etc. Others advocate recycled gold, metal that’s already been used in jewelry, electronics, ingots, etc. A third approach is to mix the two.

Who’s using what? Recycled or/and mined gold ? In this issue we offer a non-exhaustive overview of pieces heralding these new jewelry values.

Related articles - Pros & Cons of recycled gold:

Patrick Schein, the voice of responsibly mined gold

5 things you need to know about the impact of gold mining on nature

Christina Miller

What do you really want to accomplish by sourcing recycled gold?

Our February Living Room brought together varying perspectives to examine recycled gold in the context of responsible sourcing. This Living Room session sought to identify what we know and don’t know about recycled gold, the true impacts of the material, how it fits into a responsible sourcing practice, and other considerations to explore such as how the material is marketed.

Living Room Session: Recycled Gold Mar 03, 2021

Has Recycled Gold Become “Eco Theater”?

... Not all recycled gold comes from grandma’s jewelry box. Some of it comes from drug dealers, organized crime, and others looking to launder ill-gotten gains. The London Bullion Market Association has called recycled gold “a particular money laundering risk because the origin of gold bars and scrap jewelry can be easy to obscure.” The Financial Action Task Force has said much the same...

By Rob Bates | May 27, 2022

https://www.jckonline.com/editorial-article/recycled-gold-eco-theater