There are still many areas of the industry that need to be addressed: production in many parts of the world still goes unregulated, and packaging creates a phenomenal amount of waste. There are some topics that are more specific and can easily fly under the radar: like understanding the repercussions of decades of synthetic plastic-based fabrics (you can read more about this issue here) or that inhumane and entirely unethical gold mining is still a scarily normal practice.
It's the latter that we'd like to highlight today. Following a conversation with the up-and-coming jewellery designer Lilian von Trapp, we realised just how much of an unknown this process is to many of us. Lilian—who only uses recycled gold and vintage diamonds for her main collection—recently visited Makina, Uganda, with Earthbeat Foundation to work with a local community who have been directly affected by the terrible tolls of gold mining. The trip has culminated in a limited-edition unisex chain necklace that offers all proceeds to the foundation.
Lilian kindly opened up her journey to us, answering our questions along the way. I have to admit, I'm a complete dullard when it comes to this issue, wrongly assuming that with the focus on diamond mining leading to positive change (the World Diamond Council is a good resource for learning more) that this sector would naturally run in tandem.
Keep reading to learn of the reality behind unethical gold mining, what needs to be solved going forward and how you can be more aware of the gold jewellery you buy in the future.