Two Dylann Wolfe Long Lull bands made with Colombian 14k Fairmined yellow gold and Colombian coffee. Photo by Chloe Beaumont.
Did you know that one of the countries that routinely produces some of the best tasting coffee also produces gold? Not only that, but completely traceable, artisanally mined Fairmined gold?
A gold vein in a Fairmined certified mine in Colombia. Photo courtesy of Alliance for Responsible Mining/Fairmined.
Colombia is one of the two countries with gold mines that are Fairmined Certified, meaning they have met the rigorous standards set by the Fairmined Standard, overseen by the Alliance for Responsible Mining (ARM).
The Fairmined miners from Iquira Cooperative mines actually started out as coffee farmers!
Mercedes Arias is 56 years old and has dedicated her life to coffee farming and gold mining. Photo courtesy of Alliance for Responsible Mining.
"Since mining started in our region, it has improved the lives of families with job generation." ~Mercedes Arias
In the early 2000s, several coffee farmers in the area began splitting their time between artisanal gold mining and farming. Thanks to early organizing efforts, they were able to organize and create the Íquira Cooperative in 2004 and obtain a registered mining title and official licenses from the Colombian government. The Íquira cooperative, characterized by a strong sense of unity and a loving spirit, has become aware of the positive impact that mining can have on its community thanks to the training workshops hosted by ARM.
Both men and women miners work at Iquira mines, and now they rotate seasonally between producing coffee and gold! The mine is conveniently located right in the heart of the Colombian coffee growing zone.
Fairmined women miners in Colombia. Photo courtesy of Alliance for Responsible Mining/Fairmined.
We are so used to seeing the Country of Origin on each packaged bag of coffee beans we buy. What if we could normalize the same thing for fine gold jewelry?
The Rolling Tides necklace in Golden Hour, featuring ombre sapphires and 14kt Fairmined yellow gold. Photo by Morgan Burger.
Each one of our Dylann Wolfe, Mazahri, co-founder Laura Beaumont’s and several of our Delphine Leymarie, WEND, and Mercurius pieces are made using this responsibly mined gold.
How exactly is it “responsibly mined”, you ask?
So many ways!
Each Fairmined Certified mine works towards implementation of technological changes in their processing plants so that they can mine without the use of toxic mercury. They each have managed occupational health and safety systems, along with annual training to make sure miners can mine safely. There are no discriminatory activities based on gender, race, religious beliefs, cultural minorities, etc, plus no child labor allowed, of course.
As far as the environment goes, Fairmined mining associations do not cut down trees or hunt wildlife near the mine site. Any wastewater generated at the plants visited is taken to tanks and recirculated. All the plants have closed cyanidation systems, where there is no discharge to soil or bodies of water. Reforestation of the disturbed area is planned for and implemented, to leave as minimal an impact on the local area as possible.
A fairmined miner sifting gold in a pan at a Fairmined mine site called Iquira in Colombia. Photo courtesy of Alliance for Responsible Mining/Fairmined.
Each one of the Fairmined Certified mines receives what is known as the “Fairmined Premium” as an incentive/reward to uphold these standards.
They receive USD $4 for every gram of Fairmined gold sold (extracted with responsible chemical management). And in the case of Fairmined "ECO gold" (extracted without the use of any chemicals) they receive USD $6 for each gram of gold.
A Fairmined miner in Colombia holding a ring made of Fairmined gold. Photo courtesy of Alliance for Responsible Mining/Fairmined.
The premium goes towards strengthening responsible practices and the production system of the mining organization, well-being of the organization's members and their families, and social benefits.
One example of a social benefit to the community is the Hearts of Gold project, where Iquira co-op donated a percentage of their premium to children and adolescents with Special Educational Needs (SEN) who live in villages near Pacarní, Huila (Colombia) where the mines are. This funding provided language therapies, sign language and psychomotor stimulation therapies to contribute to their pedagogical, cognitive and psychomotor development.
A Fairmined miner looking out at the view from a mine site in Colombia. Photo courtesy of Alliance for Responsible Mining/Fairmined.
The second mining organization that is Fairmined Certified in Colombia is La Gabriela, located in the department of Antioquia, Colombia. They began mining twenty years ago as an additional economic activity alongside their rubber and cocoa cultivation. In 2007, the family created ponds to farm tilapia to provide for the workers. After adopting Fairmined certification, the mine transformed its practices towards responsible mining in 2021, becoming the first Fairmined certified mine in Tarazá.
Our WEND Astral peaks dual tone bracelet and Astral Peaks ring, both made using Fairmined 14kt yellow gold. Photo by Morgan Burger.
In 2022, La Gabriela actually mined out all of the gold in the vein they had discovered, which is a natural occurrence with rocks but poses a significant challenge. This caused La Gabriela to have inconsistent production that year and, consequently, a dramatic drop in sales. The miners decided to focus the 2023 premium on refining their Work and Projects Program (PTO), which prioritizes exploring mineral reserves through sampling to make strategic decisions about mineral extraction within the mine.
Had the miners not had access to the Fairmined Premium, it is unlikely that they would have had this helpful “buffer” until they could figure out where to explore next.
For us here in the States, gold is a pretty adornment and can be deeply meaningful. But, it’s not going to make or break us if we don’t have it. However, for these miners, gold is their entire livelihood.
Bars and a nugget of Fairmined gold. Photo courtesy of Alliance for Responsible Mining/Fairmined.
By purchasing pieces made using Fairmined gold, you are helping support entire communities of men, women and children in Colombia.
Our Lapis Lazuli tumbler pendant by Mercurius, made using 14kt Fairmined yellow gold. Photo by Morgan Burger.
We hope the next time you are drinking Colombian coffee, you think of Fairmined gold too– and we hope you will fall in love with one of our pieces so that you can wear it and enjoy your coffee at the same time every day!
Shop all our 14kt Fairmined gold pieces HERE, our 14kt Eco-Fairmined yellow gold pieces HERE, and our 18kt Fairmined yellow gold pieces HERE.
To learn even more about Fairmined gold and silver, read our first blog HERE.
