Precious Metal Sourcing
At The Village Goldsmith we pride ourselves on the quality of our craftsmanship, and in doing so, endeavour to ensure that all materials used in the crafting of our jewellery are ethically sourced. It is important to us that all our crafting processes, including diamond and precious metal sourcing, offer transparency, so that our customers can have an understanding of where each element of their jewellery has come from.
All the reputable precious metal refiners we source our materials from have gone to great lengths to secure the origin of their precious metal sources, along with their refining processes. Most precious metal is recycled and up-cycled. When jewellery is crafted, a portion of the material worked remains unused, so it is important that these unused parts are melted down and reprocessed so they can be reused in the production of new items.
In our workshop, after every piece we craft, we sweep all the precious metal fine filings and dust off the jeweller's benches and then refine it to be used again. The refining process involves melting the material and then refining this to a pure state. The pure metals are then recycled into fabricated product.
Below is a video showcasing this process:
Existing jewellery and/or precious metals can in many cases be reused and recrafted into new jewellery. In these instances, the precious metals are tested and verified before being melted down and upcycled.
Precious metal sourcing can be understood as a cycle which appears as follows:
We ensure that whether this process is done in house or outsourced, the method of refining is safe and has minimal effect on the environment. The companies which we source our precious metals from in fact aim to benefit the environment, protect human rights and uphold social responsibility.
Our precious metal suppliers demand evidence from their sources and support them in implementing these values across their supply chain, and are either a member of the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) themselves, or ensure all metal sourced is from an accredited organisation either a member of the RJC or the LBMA (London Bullion Market Association). These organisations have a mutual goal to strengthen relationships between consumers and companies, through consumer trust and manufacturer transparency.
The Village Goldsmith's aim is to be transparent with our customers and clearly display our methods of operation and material sourcing. Through doing so, not only will our customers feel valued during their experience with us, but can be assured that precious metals used in Village Goldsmith jewellery are sourced from reputable and ethical suppliers.
Now that you've read about our precious metal sourcing practices, feel free to read about the types of precious metals which we use in our workshop.
If you have any further questions about our material sourcing and/or crafting practices, please do not hesitate to get in touch. Alternatively, if you’re in Wellington we welcome you pop in and watch our jewellery being crafted onsite.
