What is Fairtrade Gold?
Fairtrade gold in plain English
Fairtrade Gold is gold that comes with a guaranteed “feel-good” factor. It’s mined by small community-run co-operatives that follow tough health-and-safety rules, pay themselves a proper wage and look after their local environment. In other words, it’s gold with heart, not just sparkle.
How is it different from recycled or “regular” gold?
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Regular newly mined gold can come from huge industrial sites or informal pits where wages are low and mercury use is unregulated.
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Recycled gold keeps metal already in circulation, which is great for cutting fresh mining, but no one can trace where the gold first came from or who mined it.
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Fairtrade gold pays miners a guaranteed minimum price plus an extra premium that communities spend on things like schools or clean water. Every batch is audited and traceable from the mine right through to the finished ring.
Why Pick Fairtrade Gold Over the Rest?
Isn’t recycled gold the greener option?
Recycled gold certainly has its place, but the global stock of scrap gold only covers about 30% of demand. Buying Fairtrade gold tackles the root problem by giving current miners a safer workplace and a fair wage today rather than leaving them in the informal economy.
Why does Fairtrade stick with small-scale, artisanal mines?
Roughly 90 % of the world’s gold miners work in small-scale operations, and about 100 million people rely on that income. They’re the group most at risk from exploitation, so Fairtrade directs its support where it can do the most good.
Do Fairtrade mines still use mercury or other nasty chemicals?
Fairtrade’s long-term goal is to phase mercury out, but an outright ban would exclude most artisanal miners overnight. Instead, the standard forces mines to keep chemical use to an absolute minimum, capture and re-use mercury safely, and move towards cleaner methods over time, with outside audits to prove it.
How does buying Fairtrade gold actually help real people and their communities?
On top of the market price, miners earn a US $2,000 premium per kilo. They vote on how to spend that money - common choices include new safety gear, classroom supplies or water-filtration projects.
Certification & Traceability Made Simple
Does the Fairtrade mark guarantee full traceability?
Yes. Fairtrade gold is kept physically separate all the way from the mine to the refiner and then to licensed jewellers, with paperwork at every stage.
Who checks that the rules are really being followed?
An independent body called FLOCERT audits the mines and every business in the supply chain, so the people writing the rules aren’t the same people signing them off.
What’s the Fairtrade Premium and does it make the gold cost more?
The premium is a fixed US $2,000 per kilogram on top of the agreed price. It bumps the cost of a finished piece by only a few pounds but delivers life-changing funds at mine level. Fairtrade
Fairtrade vs Fairmined: what’s the difference in everyday terms?
Both schemes work with small-scale miners and pay a premium, but:
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Fairtrade sets a single premium and is co-governed 50 % by producers.
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Fairmined offers two tiers - regular and “Eco” (completely chemical-free) and charges a sliding premium of about US $4–6 per gram.
Think of them as sister labels with slightly different fee structures; whichever you choose, you’re still backing responsible mining.
Shopping for Fairtrade Gold Jewellery
Where can I buy pieces made with Fairtrade gold?
More and more jewellers worldwide, including Poppy Elder Fine Jewellery now offer Fairtrade-certified pieces, from simple Fairtrade Gold wedding bands to bespoke jewellery.
How do I know a piece is genuinely Fairtrade-certified?
Look for the little FAIRTRADE stamp (usually hidden inside the band) and ask the jeweller for information about where they source their gold from.
The Promise at Poppy Elder Fine Jewellery
UK craftsmanship: handmade in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter
Every ring, pendant and earring is made right here in the Quarter, so that means no offshore workshops, just skilled local hands and fair wages.
Ethical diamonds: natural, lab-grown, and always responsibly sourced
I work only with dealers who follow the Kimberley Process for natural stones and with vetted lab-growth suppliers, giving you clear, conflict-free options.
Bespoke designs, Fairtrade gold, and a small family business that’s got your back
Whether you’re after a classic solitaire or something totally off-beat, we can craft it in Fairtrade 18ct or 22ct gold, size it for free, and keep it sparkling for life. Because ethical jewellery shouldn’t be complicated - it should just feel right.
So start your ethical jewellery on a journey with me at Poppy Elder Fine Jewellery, where you can craft beautiful jewellery that feels good too. Discover bespoke designs and Fairtrade Gold, and wear a piece of jewellery that tells a story of love, commitment, and responsibility.
