How Does Recycled Jewelry Work & What Are Its Benefits?

You have probably heard of recycled jewelry, but do know its benefits? If you want to know more about sustainable living and find out how you can help protect our Planet, continue reading. We have prepared an interesting article about recycled jewelry. Discover everything you need to know about it and learn why sustainability is important. Keep on reading to discover how you can be fashionable and protect the environment at the same time.

How is recycled jewelry made?

Recycled jewelry uses precious metals and gemstones that have been previously used before. The interesting part about this is that people have recycled jewelry long before recycling became a common process. You have probably heard your grandmother say that she wants to melt a gold ring in order to get a gold bracelet. The thing with recycled jewelry is that it is very easy to create new pieces from old jewelry pieces that people don’t wear anymore.

Unlike platinum, both silver and gold are easy to melt. When a jewelry piece is broken beyond repair or it is simply out of fashion, the jeweler carefully takes out the gemstones (if the piece has them) and melts it down. This way, the metal can be re-used and a new jewelry piece can be created.

What are the benefits of recycled jewelry?

The obvious and most important benefit of recycled jewelry is that it helps protect the environment. The gold mining industry is very damaging to the environment. In order to reach the gold-bearing rock, people use dynamite deep inside the Earth. The damage is great, but it doesn’t stop here. After the gold ore is extracted, it needs to be separated from the rock and other metals or materials. For that to happen, people use a solvent which is usually cyanide. The cyanide ends up in the water and earth, polluting the environment and poisoning plants, fish species and animals.

This is where recycled jewelry comes in. Instead of scarring the Earth even more in search of gold, some jewelry designers work with pre-used gold. They reuse gold to create new jewelry pieces. Of course, this also applies to sterling silver.

Another benefit of recycled jewelry is that it promotes a healthy vision regarding the use of resources. As you know, the Earth’s resources are not unlimited and people need precious metals for more than just jewelry. Instead of keeping a broken necklace in the jewelry box for years, the gold is reused and a new jewelry piece is created. In other words, recycled jewelry means breathing life into old jewelry pieces and offering them the chance to shine again.

Are there cons to this type of jewelry?

The short answer is no. But we are guessing you want the longer version. Precious metals don’t lose any of their qualities when you reuse them. In order to create a solid gold jewelry piece, the jeweler melts the gold to create an alloy. With previously used gold the same principle applies. And it is the same with sterling silver.

Platinum, however, is one of the few metals that you cannot recycle, because it would involve a very complicated process. But when it comes to gold and silver, it is easy to recycle these metals and they don’t lose any of their qualities in the recycling process.

This means that recycled jewelry comes with a lot of advantages and no disadvantages. Considering the impact on the environment and Earth’s limited resources, recycled jewelry offers a viable solution to our modern needs.

Ana Luisa’s ethical jewelry

At Ana Luisa, we use 100% recycled gold and silver for our jewelry pieces. We believe that thinking about the impact our choices have on the environment is the first step in creating a brighter future. This is why we have aimed all our efforts at providing women with unique & beautiful jewelry that also has a positive social & environmental impact.

Whether you are looking for a pair of solid gold hoops, sterling silver earrings or a dainty gold necklace, you can rest assured that any piece you buy from Ana Luisa respects our ethical standards.

When it comes to ethical standards, promoting recycled jewelry is only one aspect. Another aspect is using gemstones, especially diamonds, which are traceable. With pearls or other gems, there are no problems but, when it comes to diamonds, they can create a lot of issues for certain communities. Dirty or blood diamonds come from conflict zones and represent the sources of conflict.

Ana Luisa’s diamond jewelry is not only recycled jewelry, but it also uses clean, lab-grown diamonds. This means that our diamonds have the same qualities as mined diamonds. However, they are perfectly traceable and don’t have a negative impact on the environment or certain communities.

Last, but not least, for our gold-dipped jewelry, we make sure that all the plating happens in-house. This means that we offer women jewelry that is ethical, high-quality and with a positive social & environmental impact.

If you want to see more recycled jewelry designs, visit Ana Luisa online jewelry shop and check out our beautiful collections of designer ethical jewelry. If you want to read more about sustainability and fashion, then you should browse through our other articles and find out how you can bring a positive change.

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Ruxandra

Ruxandra is a fashion blogger who teaches fashion stumped twenty to thirty somethings how to shop their jewelry boxes for polished new ensembles. Her work has been featured in Vogue, Fashionista, Nylon, and Refinery29.