The term “recycled” is one of the most misunderstood terms in the jewellery industry, along with “ethical” and “sustainable.” You often hear jewellers claiming their pieces are 100% recycled, but what does that actually mean?

We naturally assume that a jeweller has taken an old piece of jewellery, melted it down, reshaped it, and created a brand-new item. We support and admire this practice, particularly among independent jewellers. However, in some cases, it’s better to work with fresh metal when creating your desired piece. This helps avoid issues like cracking, which can occur due to zinc found in traces of solder from old jewellery.

In other instances, a jeweller may need to add pure gold to "carat up" a piece, changing it from 14ct to 18ct. Alternatively, additional gold might be required if your new piece will be heavier than the amount provided by the recycled metal.

So, unless your jeweller knows the exact source of the metal they're using, it’s technically inaccurate to claim it’s “100%” recycled.

Now, let’s look at it from a different angle. Suppose your jeweller is creating a custom ring from scratch and orders new metal. Very few gold suppliers globally offer 100% recycled gold, and when they do, it’s usually made up of a mix of the following:

• Post-consumer goods: Items like an old ring from a relative that can no longer be repaired and is melted down, or unwanted jewellery sold by individuals.
• Remelts from production: Many suppliers or casting factories remelt goods that didn’t meet quality control standards but are still usable.
• Gold from a mine: Gold extracted from the earth can’t simply be melted down and used directly—it must undergo a refining process to remove impurities before it can be made into usable metal for jewellery.

In short, if someone claims their jewellery is “100% recycled,” feel free to ask for a sustainability report to back up their statement.

So, what does “recycled” jewellery mean to you?