Fairtrade gold
Fairtrade yellow gold wedding rings
“Fairtrade Certified Gold is the world’s first independent ethical certification system for gold. This is more than just gold, it’s gold with heart.”
The Fairtrade Foundation
Leonard of London is incredibly proud to have been a Fairtrade Gold licence holder since the beginning of the initiative in 2011.
After putting together a series of talks for the industry on ethics and sustainainability in jewellery in 2010, Sally became very aware of the evnironmental and social implications of the jewellery trade, and how it can become a force for change. A part of this force was the Fairtrade Foundation, along with some ethical jewellery pioneers, and Sally was privileged to become a part of the initial cohort of designers to be awarded a licence to work with Fairtrade Gold.
When you make the decision to have your piece made from Fairtrade Gold, you’re adding your weight to this force for positive change. Fairtrade’s vision is a world in which all miners can enjoy a sustainable and secure livelihood; the first Fairtrade mines have already started bringing about positive changes to their businesses and communities.
Miners have used their Fairtrade Premium to help improve healthcare, water supply, electricity and schools in communities around the mines.
They are also providing schools with computers to give children internet access for the first time, and can respond to shocks such as COVID-19 and investing in PPE, quarantine facilities and community supplies
Most gold used in the jewellery supply chain is newly mined. That includes gold from large-scale mining, artisanal and small-scale mining, and Fairtrade certified mines. The jewellery industry is the biggest consumer of gold, accounting for over half of the world’s demand.
With Fairtrade Gold certification, all gold is sourced from mine sites who meet the Fairtrade Gold Standard; a globally recognised marker of best practice. Visit www.fairgold.org to find out more about the Fairtrade Gold initiative
"Before Fairtrade, we sold our gold to the intermediaries… We sold to them using our little scales. We didn’t know if the scales were correct or not, we didn’t know our legal rights or how pure our product was"
Victor Juan Hurtado Padella, Deputy Mayor of Santa Filomena, Peru
Fairtrade supports miners to organise themselves into co-operatives. By doing this, they can become recognised as legal businesses, manage money better and make sure any decisions about their businesses are made fairly.
By working together, miners have more power when it comes to negotiating with buyers. They can combine the gold they mine – larger volumes of gold are easier to sell internationally.
Fairtrade white gold ring with Grown diamonds
A fifth of miners in South America are women. Fairtrade has supported some of them to become more financially independent. In the town of Santa Filomena in Peru, women miners have formed the Nueva Esperanza Association, which means ‘New Hope’. The women have used their Fairtrade Premium to set up a sewing workshop to make the sacks they use to collect rocks. The association also has a nursery where the women can leave their children while they work.
“I would ask [people] to understand that when they buy our gold, they’ll be doing a good thing and helping many women who work hard and struggle in order to get the gold.”
Jenny Torres Delgado, 27, Santa Filomena, Peru
our promise
Look for the Fairtrade hallmark
By purchasing a piece made with Fairtrade Gold, you are helping miners and their communities to better themselves and their environment.
Every Fairtrade Gold piece made by us will carry the Fairtrade hallmark, and be made entirely from Fairtrade Gold.
items bearing this stamp contain gold certified to Fairtrade Standards.
Visit www.fairgold.org