Did you know that 18 tons of mine waste is generated in the production of one simple gold ring? More than 80 percent of all newly mined gold goes to making jewelry, yet there is enough gold already mined to satisfy all demands of the jewelry industry for the next 50 years. I'll cover the alternatives in this brief overview on how gold is produced. WARNING: It’s not very romantic!

It’s the peak of summer, and if you’re like me, you’ve been heading off to dutifully attend wedding ceremonies. It’s enough that your best friend had you stuffed into a turquoise bridesmaid dress-- why not have them give something back to the earth as part of their celebration? If you are privileged enough to be entitled to full marriage rights in this country (roughly 1 out of 10 people are not!), consider the minimal impact your ceremony will have on the environment. Wedding rings are a good start. Recycled gold is a sensible and socially responsible choice to show your commitment to sustainability as well as to your mate.

The Gold Mining Process
First, gold has to be extracted from the earth, and this is done from immense, open-pit mines. It’s estimated that one-hundred thousandth of 1 percent (0.00001) of the ore is actually refined into gold. Everything else is waste. The open pit mine generates huge piles of waste rock, which releases toxic metals and acid into streams and rivers. Mine waste has turned groundwater thousands of times more acidic than battery acid! Yikes.


Once the ore is extracted, there are a few ways to leach the gold out of it. One way involves crushed and piled ore that is sprayed down with cyanide. The other way uses mercury to extract gold from low bearing ore in a process that releases mercury vapor into the atmosphere. Both ways are as toxic as they sound, and have devastating effects on ecological systems.

The separated gold is then shipped to a smelter, where any remaining impurities are removed. The smelting industry uses huge amounts of fossil fuels and the process itself releases tons of sulfur dioxide into the air. Now that the gold has been purified, it can be traded. In the United States, a piece of gold jewelry typically sells for four or more times the value of the gold it contains. Jewelry manufacturing can be a lucrative business, so it is important to hold jewelers accountable, from the open pit to the market.

Ethical Choices
When it comes to the world’s gold supply, we can still pan for good news in this stream of environmental degradation. We can make sure our consumer habits are as versatile and malleable as this sought-after precious metal. Buy gold from ethical sources such as greenKarat or read up on other issues related to responsible sourcing from the hardworking people at Ethical Metalsmiths.  The metaphor’s been used before, but don’t let your wedding ring be tarnished by the gold industry. Great Green Wedding has zillions of great ideas from wedding rings to centerpieces, and will help you live sustainably-- happily ever after.