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*Caveat on using the term “recycled gold”:

While I am very careful to source my precious metals only from SCS® certified suppliers (SCS® stands for Supply Chain Sustainability; they are the global leader in the field of sustainability standards and third-party certification). Most of my precious metals suppliers are also members of the Responsible Jewellery Council. However, I want to point out that ‘recycling gold' is not what is commonly understood by the term.

True recycling avoids things ending up in landfills. Gold, of course, wouldn’t.

Instead, gold is simply melted, refined and repurposed.

Although SCS® certified refineries must maintain auditable records of their suppliers, there are loopholes globally which make it very easy for gold from unregulated and/or illegal sources to enter their supply chain.

This makes even 'certified recycled' gold untraceable.

Further reading:
Is Recycled Gold Ethical?
Materials, Sustainability, & Fairmined Metals

Materials, Sustainability, & Fairmined Metals

Environmental sustainability and ethical sourcing are priorities, as evident in my Values and Commitments. I have used 100% recycled silver and gold (more on this below) since I began forging these metals, but I had the chance to improve my sourcing in the last couple of years: I am proud to have been one of the first Fairmined licensed goldsmiths in Canada.

I have personal connections with my gemstone suppliers. All my natural diamonds are certified Canadian-mined. I can and have used laboratory-grown diamonds, but am switching to using only responsibly laboratory-grown diamonds — hard to find! I also work with clients’ heirloom diamonds, which reduces the need for new mining or production. I continue to refine these choices. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns.

Dorothee Rosen in the Studio 23 nov 2024

Jump to:

Metals
1. Fairmined Gold
2. Fairmined Silver
3. Recycled Gold and Silver
Gemstones
4. Diamonds
5. Sapphires and Other Gemstones
Shipping & Packaging
6. Packaging
7. Shipping
Certifications and Suppliers
8. Certificates
9. Suppliers
Legal
10. Anti-Money Laundering

1. Fairmined™ ECO Gold

Fairmined™ is an assurance label that certifies gold from small-scale mining organizations embracing responsible practices. Positive change in small-scale artisanal mining, the promotion of sustainable social-economic development and environmental protection are the objectives of this wonderful initiative. The Fairmined certification system is audited by independent, accredited certification organizations, ensuring that the mining organizations comply with the requirements of the Fairmined Standard. The journey of the gold is then traced; the entire supply chain is audited all the way from the mine to the goldsmith’s workbench, providing you gold to feel good about.

Flo Ring 03 in 18K Fairmind ECO Yellow Gold

What does FAIRMINED mean?

  • Guaranteed minimum price for workers
  • Better trade relationships
  • Safe working conditions
  • Small-scale operations with low environmental impact
  • No link to conflict zones

What about FAIRMINED ECO Gold?

  • No use of toxic chemicals such as mercury
  • Purely mechanical extraction
  • Rehabilitation of native ecosystems

Fairmined Gold Dorothee Rosen-Macdesa-Nieves

What’s the difference between Fairmined and Fairtrade?

They are similar, but different. While Fairmined and Fairtrade both aim to better working conditions and wages for workers, they are in fact two different certification systems. (You may have heard of Fairtrade chocolate and coffee –there are now many Fairtrade commodities available, including gold.) When considering both certifications, ultimately I felt Fairmined was the most progressive, as it was specifically created to address metal mining and its standards for wages, working conditions, health, community, and environment. Fairmined ECO is also the only certification to ensure that the gold is mined without the use of toxic chemicals such as mercury and cyanide

2. Fairmined™ Sterling Silver

Did you know silver is a by-product of gold?

I now offer my sterling silver rings in the OneFooter Series exclusively in ethical Fairmined™ sterling silver. This silver comes from the Iquira mine in Colombia.

Workers working at a Fairmined certified mine

What does FAIRMINED Silver certification mean?
Similar to the sustainability and ethical standards of Fairmined gold, it means:

  • Small-scale operations with minimal environmental impact
  • Transparency of origin, verified Chain of Custody, and direct link to miners
  • Guaranteed minimum price for workers
  • No link to conflict zones, no child labour
  • Safe working conditions
  • Protection of water supplies
  • Rehabilitation of native ecosystem
  • 3rd party audited
Fairmined Gold Dorothee Rosen Colombia CHEDE mine

3. Recycled Gold & Sterling Silver

I source my sterling silver and gold for most of my jewellery, such as the OneFooter bangles, from Umicore and Stuller Inc. They are SCS® certified (SCS® stands for Supply Chain Sustainability, the global leader in the field of sustainability standards and third-party certification), and members of the Responsible Jewellery Council.
Cast materials for items like those in my Dragonfly Series are in-house recycled metals from the small Montreal casting house SR2 Technologies.
The OneFooter rings are now forged exclusively in Fairmined™ Silver (see above).

For white gold, I use palladium white gold, a superior 18k gold alloy. It is nickel-free and hypoallergenic. Best of all, it never has to be rhodium-plated like commercial white gold. Read more about it here.

Caveat on using the term “recycled gold”:

I am very careful to source my precious metals only from SCS® certified suppliers (SCS® stands for Supply Chain Sustainability; they are the global leader in the field of sustainability standards and third-party certification.) Most of my precious metals suppliers are also members of the Responsible Jewellery Council. However, I want to point out that recycled gold is not what is commonly understood by the term.

True recycling avoids things ending up in landfills. Gold, of course, wouldn’t in any case.

Instead, gold is simply melted, refined and repurposed.

Although SCS® certified refineries must maintain auditable records of their suppliers, there are loopholes globally that make it very easy for gold from unregulated and/or illegal sources to enter their supply chain.

This makes even “certified recycled” gold untraceable. Read more about this here.

4. Diamonds

Natural Diamonds

Natural diamonds fascinate me deeply, which is why I prefer them to laboratory-grown ones. More ancient than the first lifeforms on Earth, natural diamonds were shifted from the earth’s center closer to the surface in volcanic eruptions hundreds of millions of years later.

All diamonds are simply carbon molecules — compressed under tremendous heat and pressure. While today this can be replicated in a lab in a manner of a couple of weeks using microwave energy in pressure chambers, there is something immensely magical about natural diamonds, each of which would have formed over a very long period of time, some over 660km below the earth’s surface.

In particular, I truly appreciate working with natural diamonds from Canada’s North, which have certification papers and a laser inscription in the girdle of each precious stone.

Most of the diamonds I use originate from the Ekati and Diavik mines in the Northwest Territories. Through intensive environmental assessments, rigorous permitting processes, and much communication with local Aboriginal groups, special care is given to ensure the long-term integrity of the land, water, and wildlife.

Going above and beyond Canadian labour and environmental standards, these diamonds are:

  • Responsibly mined in Canada’s Northwest Territories
  • Natural and untreated
  • Tracked through audited processes at every stage from country of origin to polished stone
  • Polished to meet specific quality standards
  • Guaranteed to come from conflict-free sources
Gold Diamond Ring Washed in Studio Materials and Sourcing water

Laboratory-grown Diamonds

Laboratory-grown diamonds are often touted as being more ethical or sustainable than mined diamonds. This, however, is not necessarily true. As with everything: it depends on how and where laboratory-grown diamonds are manufactured.

After an extensive search, I finally found truly ethical laboratory-grown diamonds. These ones are created from carbon emissions captured from the air — imagine! Their energy source is entirely fossil-fuel free, etc. They are still hard to source, but I can get my hands on them for you from Sky Diamonds and Aether Diamonds.

Further info: Are labgrown diamonds ethical?

DorotheeRosen in the Studio 2024 (5 ) GEMS

SCS Certified

I am also an accredited SCS sustainability-rated diamond retailer. SCS 007 Certified Sustainability Rated Diamonds is a new standard in the jewelry industry that offers a unified framework for assessing the sustainability of mined, laboratory-grown, and recycled diamonds. It emphasizes third-party verification, scientific backing, and covers five pillars of sustainability: Origin Traceability, Ethical Stewardship, Climate Neutrality, Sustainable Production Practices, and Sustainability Investments. This encourages individuals who work in the industry and consumers to demand transparency and support sustainable practices.

SCS Sustainability Rated Diamond Logo

While I will always prefer natural certified Canadian diamonds, they do come with a larger price tag. Truly “clean” laboratory-grown diamonds are the only option I offer. The choice is yours.
Let’s talk about what size, colour, cut, clarity and type of diamond you want me to source for you!

5. Sapphires and other Gemstones

Because of their hardness, sapphires of all colours are my second favourite gemstone for rings. I use other coloured gemstones, mainly spinel, but prefer the use of softer coloured gems for earrings or pendants.

You can read more about sapphires here.
I still have a collection of coloured gemstones from long ago, before I knew to ask about origin; I do not have deep knowledge of their origin, and am looking to replenish with responsibly sourced gemstones going forward.

Dorothee Rosen studio inspecting gemstone

6. Packaging

My jewellery boxes are made by the Tiny Box Company, an ethical and sustainable packaging solution whose founder also went through months of research trying to find environmentally friendly and socially responsible packaging for jewellery and accessories.

I also source FSC®certified boxes made in Denmark, and Fairtrade™ Cotton pouches made in India.

In keeping with my values of sustainability, I often reuse packaging material, as long as it is sanitary. For two years after my kitchen reno, for example, I reused the packing cardboard in my shipping cartons to stabilize jewellery boxes and keep them from moving around.

Tiny Box Company ECO packaging badge

7. Shipping

Canada Post, FedEx or UPS

I ship by Canada Post, FedEx or UPS. Each of these companies have sustainability plans and net-zero target dates. Even though I recognize it as somewhat of a cop-out, I purchase carbon-offsets where available.

Canada Post Shipping Sustainability Report Snapshot
Canada Post Shipping Sustainability Report Snapshot
UPS Carbon Neutral Shipping Option and Carbon Offsets
UPS Carbon Neutral Shipping Option and Carbon Offsets

8. Certificates

9. Suppliers

Fairmined Gold & Silver Supplier

My Fairmined suppliers are the sustainability-award-winning German company Fairever, and the on-the-ground trailblazer Fairalloy in Colombia. There is zero doubt that this is the most ethical gold I am able to provide you with.

Umicore Precious Metals

Umicore, one of my SCS-certified recycled gold and silver suppliers, has high standards for environmental, business, and social sustainability and responsibility. It is an active member of the Jewellers Vigilance Canada. In addition, its manufacturing site is a member of the Responsible Jewellery Council. The company bans materials from Republic of the Congo and adjoining countries.

Stuller Inc.

Stuller considers all aspects of gold mining and refining, ensuring that gold is handled in a sustainable and responsible manner that respects both the needs of humanity and our environment.

Its recycled metals are SCS® certified, and it is a member of the Responsible Jewellery Council.
Stuller recently became a Fairmined-licensed wholeseller.

Hoover & Strong

Hoover & Strong is the greenest refinery in the U.S. In addition to being SCS® certified, it only purchases scrap from the United States (except Virginia), Canada and Mexico, ensuring 100% post-consumer recycled precious metals.

Their refining processes use 80% less chemicals than
standard refining techniques and our water treatment facility
assures that no waste water is discharged into the environment.

Pierres de Charme

My main women gem merchants have high standards of ethics and transparency. They have personally visited several mines in countries such as Tanzania, Brazil, Sri Lanka, and Madagascar. I appreciate this level of accountability, and the fact that there is such a direct connection to the origin of these stones.

Sky Diamonds

To make a Sky Diamond, carbon is harvested from the atmosphere and held forever in a diamond, and water is captured rain from the Cotswolds countryside. Wind and sun provide our energy: the entire process powered with our own renewables provided by our sister company, Ecotricity. 

Aether Diamonds

Similar to Sky Diamonds, Aether diamonds are superior carbon-based products, conflict-free and climate-positive. Their mission is to develop end-to-end carbon-negative manufacturing technologies to help decarbonize the world’s industries.

Certified Origin Diamonds

Each diamond is tracked from rough crystal to the final product, creating an unbroken chain. Each polished diamond is laser inscribed with a unique serial ID number to guarantee its authenticity. Every diamond is natural, pure and ethically mined. Its grading is certified with the highest standards: a GIA (Gemological Institute of America) certificate.

I am currently sourcing natural diamonds only from Canada, but plan to expand to those ethically mined in Botswana.

Vantyghem Diamonds

Working only with carefully approved and trusted diamond cutters, my exclusive diamond merchant is Kevin Vantyghem.
He has established incredibly tight processes and qualifications to verify and track the sources of his diamonds. Each of his diamonds is identified through his innovative Diamond Certification and Authentication Plate System™.

Vantyghem diamonds are members of the most esteemed associations in the industry.

ARV Plate Aluminum Vantyghem Diamonds

10. Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Status

As a responsible jeweller, I undergo an anti-money laundering (AML) audit every two years.

My values shape everything I do. Through continuous improvement and responsible practices, I aim to create a positive impact on my suppliers, the environment, and the industry as a whole. I invite you to join me on this journey and discover the beauty and meaning jewellery can bring.