Fair Trade Gold
A Positive Initiative
As part of our mission to make Larsen Jewellery a leader in the sustainable jewellery industry, we are now proudly a licenced producer of Fairtrade certified gold wedding rings; handcrafted using Fairtrade gold which has been mined by artisanal and small-scale mining organisations meeting the Fairtrade gold standards.
Why Fairtrade Gold?
Fairtrade certified gold comes from artisanal and small-scale mining organisations (ASMOs) that meet the Fairtrade Standard for Gold and Precious Metals. This means the gold has been responsibly mined and that the miners have received Fairtrade Minimum Price and Premium, which assists with social, environmental and economic development in their communities, and in turn creates better living and working conditions.
Fairtrade gold and precious metals helps miners and their communities to work their way out of poverty in South America and Africa. Miners who comply with the Fairtrade Standard receive a premium of US$2,000 per kilo on top of the guaranteed Minimum Price for their gold.
There are currently three Fairtrade certified mining organisations, SAMA and MICODEPRO in East Africa and MACDESA in Peru. In addition, Fairtrade is working with several other groups in Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania to help them achieve Fairtrade certification.
By purchasing a Fairtrade wedding ring, customers can rest assured that the metal has been ethically and responsibly mined, and that the workers have been compensated fairly. This income can then, in turn, be utilised towards their businesses, education, medical assistance and the environment.
To purchase a fair-trade gold wedding ring, contact us for a consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Still have questions? We’re happy to answer them!
WHAT TYPES OF JEWELLERY CAN BE MADE IN FAIRTRADE GOLD?
The Fairtrade option is limited to wedding rings only. At this stage, we are not licenced by Fairtrade to make other types of jewellery, such as engagement rings, in Fairtrade gold, but this may change down the track.
WHICH METAL OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE?
Your wedding rings can be made in 18ct White, Yellow or Rose Gold.
WHAT WEDDING RING DESIGNS CAN BE MADE IN FAIRTRADE GOLD?
In order to use Fairtrade metal, we need to handmake your wedding ring. This is possible for most plain wedding band designs. You are also able to do the Wedding Ring Experience with Fairtrade metal. For more elaborate designs, however, a better result is often achieved using other production methods where we can’t use Fairtrade metals. Examples of designs that cannot be made with Fairtrade gold include some 2-tone designs, rings with diamonds set all the way around, rings that need to be shaped to an engagement ring, Mokume designs, and rings with certain patterns.
During your design appointment, we can advise you whether your design can be made with Fairtrade gold.
HOW ARE FAIRTRADE WEDDING RINGS PRICED?
Our Fairtrade wedding rings incur a 10% premium, which is applied to our normal wedding ring prices (before extra costs are added for various design options such as diamonds and engraving). This premium only covers the higher cost of the Fairtrade metal.
IS THE ACTUAL FAIRTRADE GOLD DIFFERENT FROM OUR NORMAL GOLD?
The physical gold sourced from a Fairtrade mine is no different from the gold that we normally use, so there is no difference from a quality point of view.
Our normal gold is predominantly sourced from recycled sources and the small amount of non-recycled stock gauge gold comes from a mine in New Zealand. Our normal gold is therefore very environmentally friendly, but buying Fairtrade gold allows you to contribute in a more proactive way to the make the world a better place by supporting poor mining communities around the world.
