Ethical Gold & Platinum

At Ingle & Rhode, we use only ethically-sourced gold and platinum.

Unfortunately, most of the gold and platinum used in the jewellery industry is produced at a terrible social and environmental cost. Globally, more than one hundred million people depend directly and indirectly on small scale artisanal gold mining. Generally, they struggle to get a fair price for the gold they produce, and in order to increase their yield, most artisanal miners use mercury which can be highly hazardous to their health and that of their families and local communities if its use is not very carefully managed.

Large-scale gold mining (of which platinum is a by-product) typically produces about 20 tonnes of waste to generate enough gold for one ring. In addition, many gold mines leak toxic chemicals into the local environment, and are associated with poor health and safety standards, exploitative working practices, and a disregard for the rights of indigenous peoples.

For more information about the problems with gold mining please visit http://www.nodirtygold.org.

Ingle & Rhode offers two ethical alternatives to dirty gold - our clients can choose to have their jewellery in either certified Fairtrade gold or 100% recycled gold and platinum.