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  1. Our Story
  2. Responsible Sourcing
  3. Recycled Precious Metals

Recycled
Gold Jewelry

As part of our commitment to environmental responsibility, Brilliant Earth primarily uses recycled and re-refined gold in our fine jewelry. Our precious metals are high quality and responsibly sourced.

Why We Use Recycled Metals

Dirty gold mining has a history of civil war, labor abuses, and environmental devastation. Metal mining, and gold mining in particular, is one of the most environmentally destructive types of mining, and gold miners often earn low wages in dangerous working conditions.

Our objective is to help diminish the negative impacts of dirty gold by reducing the demand for newly mined metals and contributing to programs dedicated to improving mining practices.

Quality and Origin

We use recycled precious metals for our products. Our precious metals are sourced from certified responsible refiners that have been audited for standards set by organizations such as the Responsible Minerals Initiative and London Bullion Market Association. Currently, our gold fine jewelry is made of 93% recycled gold and our silver fine jewelry is made of 99.8% recycled silver. We continue to work with our suppliers to increase the usage of recycled metal in our products. Limited supply in the market poses a challenge to exclusively source recycled platinum, so we work with our suppliers to source recycled platinum when available and from refiners that are known to use recycled materials in their platinum products. Current disruptions in the supply chain during the COVID-19 crisis may also affect the availability of recycled precious metal. Brilliant Earth remains committed to sourcing recycled materials when possible.

Our precious metal comes from numerous sources, including post-consumer materials, such as jewelry, industrial-use metals, and electronics components; material from in-house recycling, refining, and product manufacturing or other secondary sources; and investment gold and gold-bearing product. Currently we do not offer components and findings, like peg heads, posts, clasps, tennis bracelet mountings, and chains, from recycled sources due to limited availability. We are working with our suppliers to increase the availability of these components made from recycled sources.

Examples of Recycled Metal Sources


existing jewelry

industrial use metals

electronics components

Consequences of Mining

Metal mining, and gold mining in particular, is one of the most environmentally destructive types of mining with 20 tons of ore required to produce enough gold for a single ring.

What We Can Do

We can choose recycled metals to decrease the global demand for newly mined gold. This will diminish the environmentally and socially destructive effects of dirty gold and other metal mining practices. Because precious metals can be recycled repeatedly without degradation in quality, they are a naturally renewable resource.

Choose Recycled Precious Metals to Protect the Environment and Reduce Demand for Dirty Gold.

Through the Brilliant Earth Foundation, we donate to programs to reduce the environmental impact of gold mining, including training in mercury-free techniques. Learn more about our giving back efforts.

Recycle Your Jewelry With Us

Brilliant Earth encourages our customers to recycle their own gold and platinum jewelry that they no longer wear.

We will gladly accept and recycle any gold or platinum jewelry, and we will offer a credit towards any Brilliant Earth purchase of equal or greater value based on current metal prices.

Please note that after 30 days from the initial credit notice, if we have not received instructions to return jewelry to you, Brilliant Earth reserves the right to recycle all items sent in for evaluation and apply a store credit to your account.

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Fairmined

Artisanal and small-scale mining employs approximately 20 million of the over 150 million people worldwide who depend on mining to make a living.

We strive to strike a balance between reducing our footprint through recycled metals and sourcing metals from artisanal and small-scale mining to positively impact the social and environmental conditions of mining communities.

Our Limited Edition Fairmined Jewelry Collection is crafted from responsibly sourced gold by vendors who are Fairmined certified. This gold has been mined by artisanal and small-scale miners who are committed to responsible practices, reducing or eliminating pollution, and joining the formal sector. 

Through partnering with Fairmined and purchasing responsibly sourced gold jewelry, we can make a tangible impact on miners' lives by facilitating access to fair markets and in turn promoting fair wages and improving working conditions.

   

Responsibly Sourced Tungsten, Meteorite, and Tantalum

In addition to recycled silver, gold, and platinum, Brilliant Earth offers responsibly sourced tungsten and meteorite jewelry. These rare metals offer a striking and distinctive look.

The tungsten in our jewelry originates from mining areas that are not identified as geographies producing conflict minerals. Our tungsten is processed in refiners that conform to the Responsible Minerals Initiative’s Responsible Minerals Assurance Process (RMAP). The RMAP is designed to meet requirements set by the OECD Due Diligence Guidance and government regulations on conflict minerals in the US and European Union.

Brilliant Earth’s meteorite jewelry is composed of Muonionalusta iron. This extraterrestrial material is estimated to have fallen to earth between 120,000 - 800,000 years ago, and is collected in Sweden from one of the earth’s largest and oldest meteorite fields.

Tantalum is a natural chemical earth metal. It belongs to a class of metals known as refractory metals, which are defined by their strong resistance to heat and wear. Brilliant Earth only uses conflict-free tantalum, processed in conflict-free mines and production facilities.