-Mr. Sachin Kothari, Director of Augmont – Gold for All
Gold has represented grandeur, affluence, beauty, and glamour since antiquity. The majority of household jewellery is made using this valuable metal. We are well aware, nevertheless, that extracting Gold has a significant impact on the environment. Recycling old Gold is essential in encouraging sustainable practices in the jewellery industry. It presents numerous environmental and social advantages by diminishing the demand for new gold extraction. Recycling Gold also encourages conserving natural resources, reduces energy consumption, and promotes ethical practices within the jewellery industry.
According to a World Gold Council (WGC) report, India’s gold refining industry has evolved immensely in the past ten years. Due to high gold prices and current economic uncertainties, an increase in precious metal recycling has been seen in India. Over the last five years, “old gold” has made up 11% of India’s gold supply, thanks to people selling or trading their jewellery for recycling.
What is Recycled Gold?
The source of recycled Gold is not a mine, as opposed to regular Gold. As the name implies, recycled Gold is manufactured from previously owned and underused gold-containing objects. These elements will undergo gold recycling procedures to transform into a “new” piece of Gold rather than being discarded.
Yes, recycled Gold is still genuine Gold. The product is still ductile, malleable, and corrosion-resistant. Hence its quality is unaltered.
All sectors of the economy, including the jewellery sector, must prioritise sustainability. Sustainable fine jewellery can be made from recycled materials like Gold and silver. Recycling metals eliminates the need to mine them from raw materials, which can help prevent water contamination.
Promoting Recycling and Sustainable Gold Practices
Conscientious buyers looking to combine fashion and sustainability have grown increasingly enamoured with recycled gold jewellery. As the name suggests, recycled Gold jewellery is made from previously used Gold, such as Gold from old jewellery, electronics, and other sources, which is then melted down and purified to make gorgeous new gold pieces. Reusing Gold reduces the demand for new gold mining and the resulting adverse social and environmental effects.
By purchasing jewellery made from recycled Gold, you can promote moral and ethical manufacturing practices, lessen the need for new mining and own a piece of beautiful and meaningful jewellery.
Recycled Gold is an ethical choice
People wishing to buy ethical jewellery highly regard recycled Gold as righteous. Recycling Gold significantly lessens unnecessary mining, which can seriously affect the environment and society with impacts such as deforestation, pollution, and worker exploitation.
Additionally, Recycled Gold avoids using hazardous chemicals in extraction that could affect local wildlife and humans. Reusing materials that might otherwise wind up in landfills or incinerators, recycling Gold also contributes to waste reduction and resource conservation. Using recycled Gold also promotes ethical and sustainable mining methods that prioritise nearby populations and ecosystems’ welfare.
Recycled Gold is as good as newly minted Gold
The answer is that recycled Gold is of high quality. Gold’s quality is unaffected by the processes of recycling and melting it down. Gold used previously is refined and purified when melted down, giving it the same purity as Gold that has just been mined.
Recycled Gold’s physical characteristics and chemical makeup are identical to freshly mined Gold. The source of the Gold is the only distinction. While newly-mined Gold is obtained from the ground, recycled Gold is made from industrial leftovers or previously worn jewellery.
Go ‘Green’ With Your Old Gold Jewellery
India is a nation that adores Gold, both as a luxury good and as an investment. In India, people have worn Gold excessively for millennia. Indians who possess Gold have considered recycling it to replace their antiquated or inherited gold jewellery with more modern styles and designs. Without the potential adverse effects of mining activities on the environment, recycled gold jewellery can be just as attractive and long-lasting as newly mined Gold.
Recycled Gold is typically more morally and environmentally responsible than traditional Gold. Gold recycling techniques lessen the need for new Gold to minimise hazardous and unethical practices. It makes them environmentally favourable alternatives.
Due to sustainability and ethical sourcing concerns, an increasing number of contemporary designers aim only to utilise recycled Gold in their jewellery. It can be utilised in any application where Gold is customarily employed since recycled Gold is real Gold of the same high quality as newly-mined Gold.