Why mine gold when you can recycle it?
Jewelry pieces made from recycled gold metal are eco-friendly and sustainable without altering their true Karat value.
Let me be the first to admit:
When it comes to jewelry, gold is the only metal I prefer for obvious reasons– prestige and quality. Gold is a highly valued precious metal that is extremely versatile.
You can find gold in almost everything nowadays from heated appliances, and decorations, to electronic appliances. Most importantly, gold is used to make cost-effective jewelry that is of similar quality to mined gold.
Back in Ancient Egypt, gold was used to denote status and wealth. Pharaohs and queens were fully adorned with gold jewelry and were even mummified in gold tombs.
But unfortunately, the metal has become rare to find and harder to mine. This warranted a simple solution which included recycling gold.
If you are a lover of jewelry, then the question on your mind is, Can you wear recycled gold jewelry? The answer is!
Here’s the thing:
You can recycle gold without altering its quality. Recycling gold is a great alternative to gold mining simply because it is sustainable. Now, you don’t have to sacrifice the quality of your jeweler to attain sustainability.
You would be surprised to learn that there is no difference between newly mined gold and recycled gold. If I haven’t convinced you yet, then keep reading to find out more about recycled gold.
About recycled gold jewelry
Recycled gold jewelry is made from old jewelry and electronic devices that have been melted and reused. The recycled gold jewelry is then re-polished to give it that shine.
Mined gold is becoming rare, scarce, and harder to find. Now, more than ever, businesses are promoting gold recycling for more sustainable production.
What you don’t know is, recycling gold is good for the environment and is highly cost-effective. It is often a common myth that you need to sacrifice quality to attain sustainability.
Truth is:
You can recycle gold without altering its quality and stunning features. The quality of gold that has been recycled does not reduce and it is just as good as any other gold out there.
But what exactly is recycled gold? And how is it recycled? Recycled gold is made from refined precious metal to make sure it is identical to mined gold.
The quality of refined gold is similar to that of mined gold. In 2005, recycled gold made about 35% of gold available worldwide.
Over the years, the number has significantly increased and people are more aware of the sustainability and the impact recycled gold has on the environment.
But if we can mine gold, why do we have to recycle?
Here’s why: gold mining is time-consuming because environmental factors such as soil erosion and deforestation have made gold hard to find.
Also, during the mining process, chemicals such as mercury and cyanide are used which has a more negative environmental impact.
Therefore, it makes sense to recycle gold for its sustainability and in turn, to reduce the strain caused by mining on the environment.
So, how is gold recycled?
The method is pretty straightforward. Firstly, gold is sourced from two major sources, high-value source materials such as gold alloys or industrial source materials such as electronics.
Impurities are removed from the gold alloy. Then, the metal is melted and refined to make it pure through a process called smelting.
The gold is then separated from the alloy to reveal its karat value. This extracted gold is then turned into the jewelry item you desire.
Can you wear recycled gold jewelry?
Absolutely! Recycled gold can be repurposed for any accessory of your choosing e.g., Rings, bracelets, and necklaces. Are you looking for a way to upscale your old gold jewelry?
Or do you have an earring that has lost its match? You don’t have to throw it away or let it accumulate dust in your jewelry box.
You can repurpose your old jewelry into modern, trendy, cost-effective, and sustainable accessories. What’s even better is, that you can do this all while maintaining the quality of your gold jewelry.
Why? Because refined gold does not reduce in quality. Rather, it maintains its original quality and retains its stunning properties. Recycling gold reveals its true karat value.
If you are worried that melting down your old gold accessory will make it weigh less, you don’t have to worry. This is because melting gold does not destroy the mass. But you will lose about 1 to 2.5 % on the assay.
Also, recycled gold is more eco-friendly when compared to regular gold. Therefore, you can wear recycled gold jewelry as it is more sustainable without losing its actual value.
Caution: Always hire a professional to upscale and repurpose your old jewelry.
Some reasons you should wear recycled gold jewelry?
Let’s face it: gold mining is a destructive practice that involves damage to the environment, displacement of local communities, animals, and negative environmental impacts.
On the other hand, recycled gold is made from gold sourced from other gold products that existed. Generally, recycled gold is considered more ethical, way more eco-friendly, and a better choice when compared to regular gold.
Below are some of the reasons why you should wear recycled gold jewelry.
1. Health benefits of wearing recycled gold
Did you know that wearing gold has a lot of benefits for your health? Aside from its eco-friendly nature, recycled gold has obvious health benefits.
Gold can help to alleviate symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. Wearing gold can also help to reduce soreness in the case of an infection. Why?
It is believed that gold relaxes blood vessels to boost blood circulation. This in turn helps to regulate oxygen in the body which aids in healing.
2. Dirty gold mining is toxic to the environment
Dirty gold mining is shrouded in civil wars, labor abuse, and environmental corrosion. Gold mining involves destructive practices which involve harmful chemicals.
Also, gold miners are paid low wages despite the dangerous working conditions.
Due to dirty mining practices such as heap leaching, harmful chemicals such as cyanide are used to bond with regular gold to make it easy for extraction.
To separate the gold from the cyanide, more chemicals are used creating more toxic waste that is harmful to the environment.
Recycled gold jewelry is made from existing materials; therefore, you can be sure that the environment is not being harmed when you choose to purchase 100% recycled gold jewelry pieces.
Also, gold mining is considered an unethical practice. This is because small-scale gold mining is usually done by small children which exposes them to health hazards.
The risks of processing the neurotoxic mercury vapor produced during gold extraction place them at a higher risk of permanent brain damage.
3. Recycled gold reduces the risk of water pollution
The environment is facing a clean water crisis and this is partly caused by gold mining. Gold mining pollutes waterways as gold mining companies dump most of their toxic wastes into rivers, seas, and oceans.
These toxic wastes from gold mining include mercury and cyanide. Since recycled gold is made from existing products that have gold such as electronic appliances and old jewelry.
This reduces the risks of polluting waterways as the gold is in circulation and does not have to be mined.
4. Recycled gold does not tarnish
If you are worried that purchasing recycled gold jewelry will tarnish and degrade in value over time, don’t be. This is because gold can be recycled without degrading in quality.
Gold is malleable and corrosion-resistant; therefore, you can be sure that it will not tarnish or decay. Your recycled pieces of jewelry will also not change color.
This is because mined gold is traditionally yellow. When it is recycled, it retains its yellow color which will not change over time.
5. Mercury pollution caused by gold mining
The number one cause of mercury pollution is said to be gold mining. During mining, small-scale miners separate the gold from the ore using mercury.
Mercury binds to the gold and separates the gold from the ore. Since the process requires heat, the resulting mercury vapor harms the miners and the environment.
Recycled gold reduces the risk of environmental pollution caused by mercury and is more sustainable for the environment.
On the plus side, buying recycled gold pieces of jewelry is cheaper and more cost-effective compared to real gold jewelry.
Conclusion
Due to the versatile nature of gold metal and its ability to be melted down and recycled, recycled gold has become more popular in the jewelry industry.
Gold metal can be recycled without losing its integrity or declining in its purity. You just need to mix it with other alloys to make up the actual Karat value of the gold.
This way, you can recycle high-quality gold over and over again. Through recycled gold, you can produce high-quality accessories without having to destroy the environment or displace vulnerable local communities.
As a result, you can use recycled gold to create unique, modern, and trendy jewelry pieces without having to negatively impact society.
Unique pieces such as engagement rings, bracelets, and necklaces can be made from recycled gold without compromising on their quality.
If you are looking to recycle your precious gold jewelry pieces, you can be sure that they will retain their value and purity even when recycled over and over again.
Tiger is a fashion&jewelry lover. He is also a fashion jewelry manufacturer that help thousands of small business to grow and also do business with some big fashion jewelry brands. He is a truly metal expert and he will share some information you are looking for.