Gold mining causes untold ecological harm. But the gold used to make your Labro ring is different. Find out more about eco-friendly gold. Ethical gold is that produced with no legal or moral concerns. That means no child labor. No illegal operations. No environmentally unsound policies. No association with war.
Eco-friendly and recycled gold for a greener planet
Why do we need to use eco-friendly gold? One simple fact: for every typical gold ring, 20 tons or more of toxic waste is produced.
The destructiveness of gold mining
This is due to the very wasteful process normally used to extract gold. Cyanide is dripped through ore, and gold is removed. The ore then becomes toxic from the cyanide and is left to poison the surrounding environment. Only 0.01% of the ore is turned into gold, and that’s why so many tons are discarded. Gold mining is also the top global cause of mercury pollution, and as many as 36 toxic chemicals are released through mining. Blasting and deep excavating also cause destruction to the land and the species that live off it. Mountains collapse, landslides occur, and deaths result.
Not all the toxic byproducts sit on the land. A lot of them are dumped into rivers and left to accumulate at tailings dams. However, these dams often collapse and allow the poisons to enter larger ecosystems. This is a cause of human and wildlife mortality and leads directly to the disappearance of villages and communities. Since mines are often in rural areas, native and aboriginal peoples are usually the most affected. Over 200 tailings dams have suffered significant collapses so far.
One example of this occurred in the spring of 2016, when heavy rains in the Solomon Islands caused a dam to overflow and release tens of millions of liters of toxic water downstream. The residents can no longer use the water for any purpose. The mine owners escaped liability by selling the mine a year earlier for a nominal fee, even though it had been the biggest in the country. Arsenic, cyanide, selenium and mercury are some of the dangerous substances that escaped.
Further, mining companies have been allowed to work in and around protected areas and national parks, so their pollution has had a significant effect on important species and ecosystems that are protected under law.
Gold mining harms workers and societies
There’s also the toll that mining takes on workers day to day. Countless gold miners earn little pay by working long hours in unsafe areas. Children can be used as workers. Nerve damage is the result of working in unbearably hot mines underground. Miners who are helped by air-cooling systems can still be killed when these machines collapse, as has happened in South Africa many times.
Respiratory diseases are also suffered by gold miners due to the silica dust that is thrown up by blasting and drilling. Cancer is another killer of miners, who may not even live beyond age 40 in some countries. It’s not a surprise that social unrest and civil war are strongly connected to gold mining in certain areas – miners often strike in frustration, which causes violent reprisals.
A solution that you can be happy with
Ethical and eco-friendly gold is a major concern for us at Labro. We are dedicated to using gold with a clear conscience. The recycling process is the most convenient for us – there is already a lot of gold available in various forms that can be simply purified to make jewelry. When it’s re-refined, it becomes as good and as valuable as freshly mined gold. And ethical recyclers capture all their emissions so that they do not affect the environment. When you purchase any of our gold jewelry from us, you support humane practices that are very appropriate for such exquisite, hand-crafted rings.
There are also groups such as Fairmined and the Alliance for Responsible Mining undertaking eco-friendly gold mining. Their mining practices use no dangerous chemicals and ensure that ecosystems are disturbed as little as possible. They also initiate programs to restore the environments they have affected. Workers in these programs do not have to worry about toxins, and their communities, lands and waters are kept safe.
Ethical gold is that produced with no legal or moral concerns. That means no child labor. No illegal operations. No environmentally unsound policies. No association with war. And, of course, clearly traceable supply chains. Some toxic chemicals are used in this process, but they are never disposed of in a dangerous manner.
Ethical gold is that produced with no legal or moral concerns. That means no child labor. No illegal operations. No environmentally unsound policies.
You can play a part in the recycled gold market by selling your own unwanted jewelry, electronics and metals to the right recycler. There’s no reason to leave these items around the house unused or to throw them out. With just a small effort, you will make the world a bit healthier and happier.
Labro recycled gold offers you high-quality, guilt-free choices
Our Mokume Gane rings are made with a traditional Japanese process that few can master, and we want the gold production to be as admirable as our handmade jewelry is. Our subtle combinations of different colors and thicknesses produce rings that are difficult to find anywhere else, and we offer custom designs. Buy from us secure in the knowledge that we are contributing to the health, sustainability and prosperity of planet Earth.
Labro also understands that the best gold leads to superb jewelry, and gold from questionable business practices simply doesn’t have the quality and purity we require. By choosing to follow the high road, we give you the best gold possible. It will last through your lifetime and give your children and theirs equal pleasure. Our eco-friendly engagement rings and sustainable gold are family heirlooms, not temporary gifts.
Because recycled gold is 100% purified and because we only use the most unique and authentic Mokume Gane designs, your eco-friendly gold ring is a totally new creation with the highest quality standards.
Best of all, you will have no guilty feelings and no questions about wearing gold from Labro. Beauty doesn’t have to come at a great cost either environmentally or socially. More and more jewelers are realizing this, and we’re proud to be a part of the Eco-gold movement. We also offer attractive Eco-friendly rings and jewelry made with other metals like, platinum or palladium.
Please contact Labro at any time for detailed orders or options for your jewelry and recycled gold. Your design can have its own special colors, pattern and finish. It won’t resemble anything you see in a typical shop. It will say “Jaume Labro” and nothing else.
