Gold is the new green

One of the most sought-after metals in the world is at an all-time high, but there’s a murkier side to all that mining. Sarah Royce-Greensill investigates and profiles the designers helping consumers to become more accountable for their purchases

- Sarah Royce-Greensill

ANCIENT Colombian civilisations covered the bodies of future kings in it; the Greeks used it in burial masks; Spandau Ballet devoted a song to it. Gold has entranced humankind for millennia: the earliest gold artefacts are believed to be 7,000 years old. Last year, the price of gold reached an all-time high, proof of our implicit faith in the precious metal. But the process of extracting it from the earth and refining it into its familiar lustrous form isn’t always pretty.

Dangerous working conditions, child labour, pitiful pay and chemical poisoning still plague the industry. Illegal operations are rife and even regulated mines have environmental pitfalls, including pollution and deforestation. An estimated 20 tons of waste are generated to produce enough gold for one plain band and the livelihoods of an estimated 100 million people worldwide depend on artisanal and small-scale mining, which typically occurs in unsafe, illegal mines. Great efforts have been made to eliminate blood diamonds from the jewellery supply chain and, now, consumers are turning their attention to the provenance of their gold.

Certified Fairmined and Fairtrade gold comes from artisanal mines that adhere to strict environmental standards, including the safe use of chemicals. Miners receive a fair price for the gold, with measures in place to protect their health and safety, eliminate child labour and create a positive impact on the wider community. Both organisations offer online directories where customers can find jewellers who work with Fairtrade or Fairmined gold. ‘It’s wonderful to know that a purchase of jewellery handcrafted with Fairmined gold makes a difference on a humanitarian level, improving the lives of so many people,’ says one such jeweller, London-based Thelma West.