For many years, recycled gold sat at the heart of how we thought about responsible jewellery making. Many in the industry saw it as a practical way to reduce environmental impact and move away from newly mined material. It generally carries much lower carbon emissions than newly mined gold, and for a long time it felt like the most responsible option available.
Over time, however, as part of EC One's sustainability journey, founder of the Responsible Casting Co. Jos Skeates began to look more closely at what recycled gold actually means in practice. Through several years of involvement with the Precious Metals Impact Forum, and wider conversations across the industry, it became clear that while recycled gold plays an important role, it is often made up of blended historic material. Even with robust Chain of Custody systems in place, it is not always possible to be completely certain of its original provenance once it enters large scale recycling streams.
Working on two separate research projects with Imperial College London helped Jos to clarify this further. The research confirmed that recycled gold typically has lower carbon emissions than newly mined gold, which reinforced our commitment to continuing to use it. At the same time, it highlighted how limited visibility around origin and context can be, once gold has been repeatedly recycled and combined. As our aim was to continually reduce our carbon footprint however, mined gold was simply not an option.
That all changed when Charlie Betts introduced Jos to the Bellevue Mine in Australia. Bellevue operates using renewable energy and has achieved net zero Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions for its onsite mining and power use. Being able to trace gold back to a single, known source with clearly defined operational standards fundamentally changed how we thought about the role responsibly mined gold could play.
As a result, we are delighted to be the first manufacturer in the UK to use and offer Single Mine Origin gold from Bellevue in our casting house and workshop. This allows us to be clear about where our gold comes from and the conditions under which it is produced. At the same time, we continue to offer other ethically sourced options like recycled gold, silver and platinum, Fairtrade gold, Fairmined gold and gold from e-waste sources for our customers who decide they are the right choices for them.
Does sustainable gold mining exist? No, no process where we takeaway from the land can be classed as sustainable, but modern mines with initiatives like this pave the way for more disucssion around how minng can be less determental going forward, and maybe even be restorative one day.
We are deeply passionate about the environment, but one of the hardest lessons we have learned is that these decisions are rarely simple. Too often the conversation is framed as people or planet, as though we must choose one over the other. In reality, responsible sourcing means holding both at the same time and being honest about where compromises still exist.
There is no perfect solution here. This shift is not about rejecting recycled gold, but about responding to what we have learned and being clearer, more precise, and more transparent about the materials we use and the claims we make. This change reflects a growing understanding rather than a fixed position, and a desire to make choices that feel both considered and transparent.
We also continue to work with artisanal miners through Fairmined and their credit scheme, but that is a story for another day….
If you would like to find out more about our metal offering or about working with us please get in touch. We aim to be more than just a caster, we are your partner in principled jewellery production.
