Expert Talk with Danielle Keller Aviram: Circular Economy & Jewelry Design

At Maren Jewellery, sustainability is not just a value – it is a commitment that shapes every part of our work. In our Expert Journal series, we speak with thought leaders, researchers, and change-makers from across the industry to deepen our understanding, challenge our perspectives, and drive our development towards even more sustainable and conscious practices.

This issue focuses on the circular economy and the role of recycled gold. We are honored to speak with Danielle Keller Aviram, an internationally recognized expert in sustainable jewelry, circular systems, and responsible sourcing. With her many years of experience as a designer, researcher, and consultant, she brings a deep and nuanced understanding of how the industry can and must transition to ethical and circular models.

Begleitet uns zu einem Gespräch über Transparenz, Materialzyklen und darüber, wie emotionale Werte und Nachhaltigkeit in modernem Schmuck wunderbar koexistieren können.

Danielle Keller Aviram is a respected sustainability researcher, analyst, and jewelry designer with extensive experience in the jewelry industry. After earning her bachelor's degree in jewelry design in 2012, she ran her own international fine jewelry brand for five years. Her growing concern about the origin and supply chains of the materials she used led her to pursue a master's degree in sustainability, focusing on the supply chain of luxury jewelry.

Danielle has collaborated with numerous organizations, including CIBJO, RJC, Fairmined, and the Jewelry Industry Summit, to develop and implement sustainable and circular action plans and strategies. She has also written articles on sustainable jewelry and fashion for publications such as JCK and Rapaport.

Besides her consulting work and writing activities, Danielle has given lectures and workshops on sustainable jewelry at institutions such as the London College of Fashion, Kolding University in Denmark, and Notre Dame University in Beirut.

Recently, she, together with 3 other colleagues from the jewelry industry, has brought to life the Truly Precious Community. A space where industry professionals meet people from all over the world, ask questions about sustainable topics, receive the latest information on sustainability, learn from articles, reports, webinars, and conferences, and connect with like-minded individuals.

Their research and commitment emphasize the importance of traceability, sustainability, and circular economy in the luxury jewelry industry to create emotional added value and promote responsible practices.

Danielle: >As with other recycled materials, the main advantage of using recycled gold i In saving resources. Instead of mining, refining, and manufacturing newly extracted valuable minerals, which themselves have severe and significant environmental impacts, other resources are also saved that are needed for converting mined minerals into the shiny objects we know, such as energy, water, chemicals, and the disruption of ecosystems and biodiversity. The environmental impacts associated with the mining and processing of minerals are enormous.

The special aspect of reusing valuable minerals like gold is that the process of melting and recasting gold and metals in general has been known for thousands of years. Since gold, like other valuable minerals, has a high economic value, the reuse of this mineral also makes a lot of financial sense. Primarily, it should be emphasized here that every gram of gold or any other valuable mineral that has been extracted from the earth throughout history exists above ground, as gold and other valuable minerals never decay or tarnish. It is estimated that there are about 190,000 tons of gold above ground, and if this amount were reused, it could meet the demand for gold for decades.

By reusing gold, some social issues become less relevant, such as illegal labor, child labor, forced labor, and many other health and safety risks at work. These aspects are not monitored and are associated with newly mined precious minerals and the processing of these minerals. For many people, the social aspect is a crucial part and a main reason for working with freshly mined gold, but if we were to ask most miners, they would hardly say that they want to continue mining, and that might give all of us working in the jewelry industry something to think about.

At the same time, I must point out that there are problems with the use of recycled or reused gold, especially because the industry's definition of what it means to work with recycled gold is not clear and can be easily manipulated within the supply chain. There is no strict transparency, regulations are not efficient enough, the monitoring of incoming reused metals and the mechanisms for reusing metals do not function properly, and there are no incentives for jewelry users and other stakeholders to work responsibly with reused gold, so that it brings benefits and opens up opportunities. Words are important because they imply actions and dictate how processes are decided and handled.

Danielle: >To approach Circular Economy correctly, the circular economy must be considered and integrated from the design phase through the entire lifespan of the product to its end of life.

It is a profound shift in awareness, as many stakeholders are involved who interact with products/materials throughout the product lifecycle worldwide.

For everyone who manufactures processing materials or products, this means thinking about the next life cycles of the products. This is a massive shift in the way products are developed and designed, but it is the only way to adequately consider the circular economy. For example, from the very beginning, it must be considered how different materials can be separated at the end of their life to maximize their use in the next life cycles. How can we extend the usage phase through design, but also through better production and research and development, and develop a longer lifespan for products?

A part of incorporating the circular economy also involves educating customers on how to better handle and care for their products, and even offering free services that can extend the usage phase of products. Providing ongoing services can also be a great way to stay connected with customers, build loyalty, and offer significant benefits to end customers, while simultaneously considering the circular economy.

Another important step that companies can take is to provide customers with information about what they can do with a product at the end of its lifecycle, and to create incentives for responsible handling of the products they own before they become waste.<

Danielle: > Everyone can understand that items close to one's heart, because they have sentimental value, are better cared for and, in most cases, used longer. They can have sentimental value because they were received or purchased for a special occasion, or they symbolize something meaningful. They can also be expensive, made with high-quality materials or exquisite techniques that make them special, or something bought or received in another place that represents different cultures and locations, and many other reasons and stories can connect items with greater emotional value.

Another thing we need to consider when talking about the emotional value of products is that we usually find it hard to throw away such products that we believe are special to us because they have value, even if they don't fit or we don't use or like them. Maybe we keep them for when we are slimmer, or we save them for our children or other family members or close friends, and even if we decide to pass them on, we would usually invest energy and effort to find a good new home for these products so they can make more people happy.

This is different from most products that surround us. I believe that if we pause and think about the effort, the work, the resources, and the time invested in everything around us, we might treat products differently.

Danielle: > Traceability is a major issue in our industry, even when it comes to recycled materials. There are some exceptional cases where brands establish direct connections with miners/mining communities and through these connections can track the path of the materials from start to finish.

With recycled materials, traceability is somewhat more complicated due to their origin (or previous life), but there are refineries around the world that can specify how the metals were used before refining.

I assume that with the advancement of technology, more solutions will be offered to trace the history of recycled materials.
I know a start-up company that has a database of soil samples from many mining sites around the world. As soon as they receive a mineral in their laboratory, they can match it with their location database and determine where the mineral originated. I assume that these technological solutions will continue to evolve and expand over time, providing more clarity and accuracy while addressing issues of traceability and transparency for many industries, including the jewelry industry.

The essence of this discussion about traceability is that we need to restore trust in our suppliers and systems, and a key part of that is communication.

Danielle: > The discussion about the circular economy and jewelry is not yet very advanced, and the concept and its impact on trade and industry are not entirely clear.
At the same time, the resale of jewelry (especially premium and luxury items), which is being used by more and more people, is becoming increasingly popular.

Most brands still do not offer take-back systems or try to think through other cycles to extend the lifespan of materials and products.

A great example of a second life that brings many benefits to people, the planet, and peace at the same time is the Story Bangle from Article 22. The story is not new, but to my knowledge, it is still extraordinary. The items are made by traditional Laotian artisans who earn their living, develop their villages, engage in the community, and promote mine clearance. During the Vietnam War, 80 million unexploded bombs were dropped on Laos, causing great damage and contaminating the soil in Laos. This bracelet is recycled by artisans in Laos from shrapnel and scrap from the Vietnam War. In addition to all the positive impacts the collection has on the communities, some of the 80 million unexploded bombs that poison the country and endanger people's lives are removed. <

Danielle: > Since gold has enormous economic value and it is relatively easy to smuggle or use it for many other illegal activities (because it is small and valuable and can be easily hidden and sold for cash), stamping or marking illegally traded gold as recycled gold is tempting and can thus easily enter the legal gold supply chain.

The fact that this happens does not mean that every piece of recycled gold is traded illegally and associated with violence and human rights violations. It means that it is up to all of us to do our research, ask questions, and work with people we trust and know have the right intentions.

Brands should create or join security mechanisms or systems that can help them avoid having their brands associated with or involved in illegal gold activities. Good suppliers work with recycled gold. It is important to research and ask questions, perhaps even visit the production site to see how things operate, how the metals are separated, and not hesitate to ask everything. Knowledge is power.

Customer should not only make sure that they like the piece aesthetically when buying a piece of jewelry, but also that the way it was made and what it is made of aligns with their personal values, history, and beliefs.

Danielle: > Items can be both beautiful and sustainable – that is not a contradiction. A special story about how an item was made, by whom, where, and any other specific detail can add more value and appreciation to the item when shared in the right way.
These sustainable parameters can be formulated in such a way that they create a special bond between the producer/processor/manufacturer and the user while simultaneously emphasizing the sustainability parameters. At the same time, we are in a sensitive time where we all experience greenwashing from all directions. No matter how sustainable measures are implemented, it is important to ensure that all efforts, actions, and plans are reported transparently and honestly. This is always better than committing to or promising things that cannot be fulfilled. Authenticity is the key! <