Sustainable shimmer? Brands from Pandora to Tiffany & Co. are switching to recycled gold and silver, while Boucheron and Pomellato are using upcycled materials

Without them, Pandora couldn’t guarantee the provenance of its metals nor meet the chain of custody standards set by the Responsible Jewellery Council, which promotes ethical social and environmental practices by inspecting the credentials of jewellery supply chains. For Pandora’s CEO, Alexander Lacik, these challenges are nothing in comparison to those facing our planet.

“Recycling can significantly reduce the climate footprint of the jewellery industry,” he said, estimating that the company’s shift to 100 per cent recycled gold and silver will slash its supply chain CO2 emissions by a quarter. This amounts to 58,000 tonnes annually, which according to the brand, “is similar to the emissions from the annual electricity use of 11,000 homes, or driving 6,000 cars around the world”.

How is this possible? Well, recycling requires less energy and fewer resources than mining. Recycling gold emits less than 1 per cent of the carbon emissions from mining gold, and recycling silver emits one third of the carbon emissions from mined silver.

“We only use 100 per cent recycled silver and gold, and over half of our gemstone styles have been traced back to their mined origin, leaving no doubt about where they came from,” stated founder Monica Vinader. “Our business is growing, but we’ve got a plan to reduce our emissions – and we’re bringing our suppliers and partners on the journey.”

In keeping with this strategy, the brand operates an attractive buy-back scheme for customers, and promises that her company will recycle gold and silver from any brand to ensure it gets another life. Donors receive a voucher worth about HK$200 to go towards their next purchase. “We believe that a circular economy and recycling is one of the key pillars of sustainability,” said Vinader. “Limit waste, keep materials in use for as long as possible, and regenerate natural products.”

Currently, less than 20 per cent of the world’s silver comes from recycled supplies – and non-profit Pure Earth continues to report that, for every piece of jewellery made, 95 per cent of carbon emissions come from the mining and production of metals. There’s a reason for this: organised criminals have infiltrated recycling plants in various countries, resulting in multimillion-dollar thefts in some cases. In the UK alone, the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Metal, Stone and Heritage Crime claims a recent surge in metal theft cost the country’s economy half a billion pounds (US$625 million) last year.

“Cofalit is the complete opposite of what is considered precious in the collective imagination. I took inspiration from the fact that this material is deemed to have no further utility,” said Boucheron’s creative director, Claire Choisne.

“We are redesigning our business to continue to thrive and prosper sustainably into the future, while at the same time helping to transform the luxury sector, and contributing to meeting the significant social and environmental challenges of our generation.”

Fast-tracking one of the world’s most historic industries – while maintaining its heritage and deep-rooted values – is no easy task. Jewellers have historically been resistant to change and slow to adapt to the tastes of today’s shoppers.

However, research shows that sustainability is an increasingly important factor to consumers – so more power to the eco-conscious jewellers elevating their collections by challenging the status quo.