Path to a More Responsible Jewelry Industry

Jewelry and the associated extraction of raw materials such as gold and diamonds is often problematic and comes with social and environmental challenges. But should people stop buying jewelry altogether, or are there solutions for more sustainable production and a more sustainable value chain—and therefore a more sustainable future? 

We believe there are! Our approach is to promote new ideas, techniques, and solutions for more responsible jewelry production, thereby inspiring more responsible action. Since people wore jewelry before they discovered clothing, we believe that jewelry has such great social and emotional significance—such as an engagement or wedding ring—that it is worth rethinking how it is made. 

To this end, we analyzed three studies and, together with the expertise of our founder Helge, a trained jewelry designer, summarized 15 relevant solutions below for us and for you. This also allowed us to review our environmental, social, and supply chain approaches once again, as well as develop new ideas and insights for our production and our sustainable actions. We hope this can also inspire you to make conscious purchasing and production decisions.

Mining operators must respect existing international agreements on occupational safety and human rights and implement them in their mines. The producing companies should ensure that they pay their suppliers fair wages, provide safe working conditions, and exclude child labor. [02]

When granting new concessions, sustainable livelihoods and the economic participation of the local population must be enabled, thus protecting their livelihoods. [01]

Local cooperatives can help achieve higher incomes and better negotiating positions for those living and working there through community-led organizations. [02]

A large portion of today’s gold mining is unnecessary, as much more recycled gold could be used. Gold from old jewelry, dental gold, or electronic waste is a sensible alternative to mined gold. A great deal of gold from electronic waste from previous years still lies unused in landfills today or is shipped abroad for recycling. [01]

To reduce the consumption of natural, finite resources, recycling precious metals and using artificial gemstones is therefore one possible approach. [02] The use of recycled gold can reduce the need for newly mined gold and thus help lessen certain environmental and social impacts of mining. [03]

Certification systems like Fairmined create the opportunity for small-scale mining to promote mercury-free extraction techniques. For large mining companies, certification systems like IRMA set important environmental and social standards. [01]

Certificates and labels such as Fairtrade Gold also provide security in purchasing decisions by offering transparency about the production methods. [02]

When extracting gold, neither mercury should be used nor should any other hazardous chemicals or heavy metals leak into or be emitted into the environment. This applies both during the operational period and after the mine has closed. Air quality must be maintained and regularly monitored. [01] This requires better environmental standards and stricter ecological regulations, as well as investments in technologies that reduce the environmental impact of mining! [02]

Research and innovation to develop new technologies and materials that are less harmful to humans and the environment is important to enable sustainable change. For example, innovative technologies could reduce or completely replace the use of chemicals in mining. [02]

Organizations and initiatives that work to improve ecological and social conditions in artisanal and small-scale mining need better support. [03] Through this support and thus the improvement of living conditions, alternative sources of income could be created for the population to reduce dependence on raw material extraction. Companies should promote social projects that benefit communities in the long term, for example, by building schools, hospitals, and roads. [02]

A declaration of authenticity for customers can be an effective method to ensure greater necessary transparency. Whether it is newly sourced or recycled materials – a certificate can help establish certainty about the origin of the raw material in any case. [03]

Circularity is not only sustainable because used resources are returned to the production cycle again and again and recycled, it also improves every product: because longevity is prioritized and possible repairs are taken into account right from the design stage, the quality of the product automatically increases. The selection of durable and recyclable materials can also contribute to a more resource-efficient product design. [03]

A robust and detailed procurement policy must be established, specifying the suppliers and providing comprehensive evidence of the Chain of Custody – especially for precious metals like gold and silver and diamonds. [03] Furthermore, an assessment of all environmental and human rights risks throughout the supply chain, including evidence of due diligence from the upstream suppliers, should be implemented. [03] It is time for companies to take responsibility for their ecological and social impacts and to publish detailed information about their suppliers, as well as to implement systems that allow for precise tracking of the origin of materials. [02]

There is no way around a transparent supply chain. The WWF goes even further: They demand a tightening of the Supply Chain Act. Companies should disclose where they source their raw materials. Violations should be consistently sanctioned to create more transparency and accountability. [01]

Transparency helps you measure yourself against your own values. Anyone who publicly and honestly takes stock of how the company is positioned on environmental, social, and supply chain issues, for example in a sustainability report, creates an incentive for themselves to continuously improve their environmental and social performance. It is helpful to use other reports as a guide, implement scientific studies, and disclose your own figures in order to create a universally applicable benchmark. Of course, this only works if you know your own data. Bold sustainability approaches are still in short supply, especially in the jewelry industry – that has to change! [03]

Consumers should be informed about the impact of buying jewelry so they can make more conscious purchasing decisions. [02]

Holistic environmental and social responsibility goes beyond the product itself. It also concerns the way work is done day by day: in the office, in shipping, while travelling. All of this must be identified so that new, feasible, and scientifically grounded goals for improvement can be set. [03]

Not only should the products themselves be designed in a circular way, but companies should also offer service offerings for repairs and recycling. Additionally, the way work is conducted should aim to repair whenever possible, and otherwise recycle the individual components of tools, machines, and computers. [03]

Not only in production, but also in purchasing, it is important to ensure that the products being bought are durable and high quality. Responsible business practices begin with the pencil for the first sketch and end with the finished product and its shipping. [03]

Together, everything is easier. Sustainability too. That’s why it’s important to support initiatives by other companies to promote greater transparency and responsibility at the business level. [03]

It is also essential to manage resources – if necessary, production should be reduced, eliminated, or changed. [03]

Our research once again made it clear to us that our approach of addressing environmental, social, and supply chain issues across all three areas of sustainability— ecology, economy, and social responsibility—is an important part of our continued development.. 

For you as consumers, we hope this article inspires you to ask the manufacturers of your jewelry more questions and to consume more consciously overall. Timeless, high-quality pieces of jewelry can be worn and passed on for many years. These are the pieces of jewelry that you will one day pass down to your grandchildren!

[01] WWF, "Gold - anything but shiny for the environment" [Online] Available: https://www.wwf.de/themenprojekte/waelder/mining/gold-mining Accessed on 2024.11.08

[02] Hütz-Adams F. ; Koch S. ; Schneeweiß. A., "Jewelry - Proof of Love, Livelihood, and Exploitation - From Raw Material to Store Shelf" Südwind e.V. 2010 [Online] Available: https://www.suedwind-institut.de/fileadmin/Suedwind/Publikationen/2010/2010-05%20Schmuck%20-%20Liebesbeweis%2C%20Broterwerb%20und%20Ausbeutung.pdf Accessed on 2024.11.08

[03] Grünenfelder D., "A precious transition – Demanding more transparency and responsibility in the watch and jewellery sector – Environmental rating and industry report 2018". WWF Switzerland. 2018 [Online] Available: https://www.wwf.ch/sites/default/files/doc-2018-12/2018_12_07_WWF%20Watch%20and%20Jewellery%20Report%202018_final_e_0.pdf Accessed on 2024.11.08