It is a choice that some large Maison already have done, to which Pandora is now added: by 2025 the Danish brand will completely stop producing its jewels using freshly extracted gold and silver and will only purchase recycled resources. This will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by two thirds for silver and over 99% for gold.
The choice is important, also because the quantity of precious metals used by Pandora is more impressive than that of high jewelery brands, which sell few pieces at a higher price. Pandora, on the other hand, distributes thousands of charms, bracelets, rings and earrings all over the world.
Gold and silver are splendid materials that can be recycled indefinitely, without losing their quality. The metals extracted centuries ago are still as good as new. They will not oxidize and will never be ruined. We hope to help develop a more environmentally friendly processing method and prevent these precious metals from ending up in landfills. We want to help build a more circular economy.
Alexander Lacik, CEO of Pandora
Today, to tell the truth, 71% of gold and silver from Pandora jewelry already comes from recycled sources. But a complete use of unextracted gold and silver will reduce carbon dioxide emissions, water consumption and reduce other environmental impacts, since the recycling of precious metals uses less resources than the extraction of new metals. The carbon dioxide emissions generated by the supply of recycled silver are one third of those generated by the extracted silver, while the recycling of gold is equivalent to a quantity of carbon dioxide emissions 600 times less than that derived from the extraction of gold , according to life cycle assessments.
Silver is the most used material in Pandora jewelry and, based on weight, it represents more than half of the materials purchased. Pandora also uses in smaller quantities gold, palladium, copper and artificial stones such as nano-crystals and cubic zirconia. The decision to use only recycled gold and silver involves all the uses of these metals in Pandora jewelry, such as the use in grains, in semi-finished products such as necklaces and in other parts that come from third party suppliers.
