The Impact of What You Wear

The ‘removal’ of  gold and silver from the earth  isn’t as pleasant a process as we’d like to think. Our precious environment takes an enormous hit.

The extraction process can be devastating, including the use of dynamite to explode apart the land. After that, piles of crushed ore are sprayed with deadly cyanide which helps collect all of the gold and silver. This process is heavily repeated, creating dangerous amounts of toxic waste, and as a consequence, can seep its way into neighbouring habitats.

Surrounding wildlife, especially migratory birds, are exposed to these areas of standing chemicals and often end up ingesting the cyanide solution or inhaling the hydrogen cyanide gas – both which are fatal.

Leaks and spillages caused by bad weather have also flooded cyanide into surrounding soil and water, creating devastating impacts on local communities and fish and invertebrate populations.

In 2014, for example, 25 million cubic meters of chemical waste was flooded into surrounding rivers and lake in Mount Polley, British Columbia which included dangerous additives of petroleum by products, sulfuric acid and cyanide.

A report by Earthworks  and Mining Watch Canada, Troubled Waters, states that  each year, mining companies dump over 180 million tonnes of these hazardous mine wastes into rivers, oceans, and lakes - that's more than 1.5 times the amount of waste that US cities send to landfills each year.

Responsible, Reclaimed and Recycled

By using recycled gold, silver and reclaimed, gems and diamonds, Kay Reed ensures that the environment has been carefully considered with her jewellery having a significantly lower environmental and social impact than newly mined metals, but still retains high quality and beauty. All packing has also been carefully selected from sustainable resources and responsible companies. Buying products that have recycled metals ensures that no nasty by-products end up absorbed by our lands and seas. Furthermore, 10% of profits go directly to supporting wildlife conservation to help conserve some of our most endangered species.

Browse the exclusive wildlife collection here.