Sustainability

every time you spend money you are casting a vote for the kind of world you want to

The saying goes: "Talk is silver. Silence is golden." However, we disagree and think that the topic of gold mining is talked about far too rarely. The dirty gold industry with its child labor, environmental destruction and civil wars is nowhere near as glamorous as the coveted precious metal.

Around 15 million people worldwide work in small-scale gold mining. Many of them receive less than 2 dollars a day. This is barely enough to survive.

The working conditions in the mostly informally organized mines are often miserable and life-threatening. The workers' health is damaged by the unprotected use of mercury and cyanide. And our environment is irreparably destroyed. Child labor is also widespread in gold mining.

Since noën was founded in 2006, it has therefore been a matter close to our hearts to create jewelry that not only makes people more beautiful, but also the world we live in. To achieve this, we incorporate all aspects that make a piece of jewelry ethically valuable: a clear, well thought-out design language, responsibly obtained raw materials from transparent sources, a seamless supply chain from the small-scale mining project to the finished product and sustainable production in our own manufactory inPforzheim.

"We in the privileged industrialized nations must not be indifferent to the plight of the millions of people who depend on small-scale mining. We have a responsibility to ensure that they earn a decent income and that gold mining for our luxury products is not at the expense of health or the environment."

That's why we make all our jewelry from Fairmined-certified gold and silver. It comes from responsible small-scale mining organizations that promote positive change, local social and economic development and compliance with strict environmental protection guidelines. International norms and standards are not only met, but often exceeded. The seal of approval awarded by the Alliance for Responsible Mining (ARM) also guarantees a fair price for the minerals mined, a comparatively high social premium of USD 4,000 to 6,000 per kilogram of fine gold for better living and working conditions in the local communities and a transparent supply chain for producers and consumers. www.fairmined.org