How and why I'm using Fairmined Gold

In a previous post, I shared the exciting announcement that Andronyk Studio is now a licensed Fairmined Gold brand. As an artist who is passionate about sustainability and ethical practices, this is a big deal for me. I want to dive deeper into what Fairmined Gold is and share why I'm incorporating it into my work.

Fairmined Gold is gold that has been mined by artisanal and small-scale mines who have been certified by The Alliance for Responsible Mining, and is entirely traceable from those mines to my workbench. These mines must strictly adhere to intensive guidelines to ensure a positive social impact on mining communities, high environmental standards, gender equality, as well as labor regulation and safety for the workers. In a nutshell, Fairmined Gold is ethical gold, straight from the source.

In my studio, I use 100% recycled gold that is SCS Certified and recovered from various sources. So why am I incorporating Fairmined Gold in my work? Firstly, there will always be demand for gold, and new gold will always be mined. By buying traceable and ethical gold directly from certified mines, I can be the change in a historically exploitative industry.

While recycled gold is still an option I use and stand by, I'm going one step further by ensuring the direct origin of the gold. I'm very passionate about the full transparency of Fairmined Gold, and the prospect of helping transform the mining industry from the ground up.

Secondly and most importantly, one of my core values is to continuously adapt and move forward to improve upon my sustainable and ethical business practices. I am working hard to fully transition to Fairmined Gold in the studio in the coming years. It's not a simple process, but I believe it's worth it to create a positive impact in the world and to know that the materials I'm using align with my values.

Curious about which pieces coming out of the studio will be Fairmined? New collections from Andronyk Studio will be made using Fairmined Gold (stay tuned for my next newsletter for a sneak peek of new work). As of now, previous collections and customizations will be made using recycled gold, but Fairmined can be used upon request!

Any work that is created in my studio using Fairmined Gold is labelled distinctly with a "FAIRMINED" logo. I want to be as transparent as possible about the materials I'm using and educate my customers about ethical practices in the industry.

Thank you for always being here, as I continue to grow and find new and exciting ways to change and make my work better.