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recycling
let's close the circle
In my studio, I prefer to work with old gold, provided by you. Most of the time you'll come by with old pieces of jewelry, coins or the like, which then are analyzed, weighted and checked by me with you on site. We then discuss the possibilities of reworking or new production. If necessary I also calculate the purchase value. "By recycling gold that's already in circulation, no mercury or cyanide is needed in the process of mining, so it doesn't pose a threat to workers' health or groundwater. There's also no need to dig even deeper and more dangerous shafts and risk human lives" and the environment won't be further destroyed.
Apart from recycled gold, I use gold from the Austrian market leader Ögussa. Ögussa is a subsidiary of Allgemeine Gold- und Silberscheideanstalt AG, Pforzheim, Germany and is therefore also included in the scope of certification by the Responsible Jewelery Council (RJC). "The RJC is an organization established to set standards that enhance consumer confidence in the jewelry industry by promoting responsible ethical, human rights, social and environmental business practices throughout the jewelry supply chain. The RJC and its members oppose any activity that directly or indirectly funds armed conflict or otherwise supports or facilitates extreme violence and human rights abuses." You can read about their guidelines here .
Most of the gold sold by Ögussa comes from european recycling. The other part from certified small-scale mining. These small mines are certified as far as the working conditions are fair, i.e. no child labour, fair wages, mandatory protective equipment and training in handling the necessary chemicals. These certifications are granted by organisations such as Fairtrade (FLO) or Fairmined (ARM).
Although small-scale mining produces only 10% of the world's gold, it provides 90% of the jobs and therefore the livelihood of around 10 million miners is depending on it. Ögussa currently obtains gold from these mines in Peru, Colombia and Mongolia.
The third type of fair gold is gold, that has been painstakingly hand washed in the traditional manner, free of cyanide and mercury. This gold is also called green gold. Unfortunately, the usable quantities are marginal and therefore not an option for jewelry makers. But you are welcome to purchase this kind of gold externally which I then gladly use for your customised pieces.
Sources: Ögussa
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