company: historically jewellery has held a special place in the fabric of human culture. Industrial methods of extracting jewellery’s precious metals from the earth damage the land and endanger ecosystems. It would be ecologically ideal to eliminate mining and simply use the metals we already have available, in what is referred to as ‘closed-loop’ recycling. Toward that end, greenKarat™ offers jewellery made from recycled precious metals. The company also supports efforts to develop ecologically and socially responsible 'ethical gold'. Those programs would support communities that are mining responsibly and working to restore degraded rainforest. The initiative to replace current mining economies with ones supported by sustainable Forest Gardening would strengthen biodiversity and embrace sustainable development.

products: strongly believing in recycling, greenKarat™ offers jewellery made from recycled precious metals. There are two types of refiners. Primary refiners receive gold directly from the mine, whereas secondary refiners process recycled metal. Recycled metal comes from many sources, including discarded jewellery, electronics and dentistry products. GreenKarat jewellery utilises metal only from secondary refiners. There are differences even between secondary refiners. Refining is an inherently dirty business, using dangerous chemicals and lots of water. A refinery’s environmental commitment can make a big difference on the impact it makes. At greenKarat they look for refineries, which take advantage of new technologies to reduce emissions. Gold and silver are elements, which in their pure form are the same whether refined from scrap or refined from ore. There is absolutely no difference in the quality of the product you buy. By choosing recycled precious metals, you have the satisfaction of knowing that your purchase has helped you to live gently with the Earth.

certification: the foundation of the ethical gold project is the independent certification itself. This starts with field examinations in the mining areas and extends to certification of the facilities where ore is refined and metals alloyed. Certification of gold and platinum is issued by an independent entity based upon numerous criteria. Efforts are under way to develop and implement standards for the certification of any facility used in refining or alloying the certified gold or platinum. Such standards will include, amongst others, certification that the facility either has no toxic emissions, or has a fast track plan with date specific milestones to achieve zero emissions. You will find information in the Green Assay™ information box for each product, which indicates whether refinery certification was in place at the time the piece was made.

sustainability features: greenKarat™ is now a member of 1% For The Planet - an alliance of businesses committed to leveraging their resources to create a healthier planet. Members recognize their responsibility to and dependence on a healthy environment and donate at least 1% of their annual net revenues to environmental organizations worldwide. The alliance aims to prove that exercising environmental responsibility is good for business.[www.onepercentfortheplanet.org]