Orovilla is an RJC member for sustainable gold, innovation and respect for the environment
Achieving maximum results with minimum environmental impact: that is our mission.
To contribute to leaving our children a planet that is still habitable: that is our goal.
Ethics, clarity, collaboration, sustainability and the environment are the cards we play in our relationships with our customers, in order to offer an efficient and green service while complying with environmental protection laws. This is a duty of the individual. It is even more so for companies.
To be part of the change we had to make a choice that involved every fibre of the Orovilla world in a unique motion towards uncompromising environmental protection.
RJC certification for ethical, sustainable and responsible gold
One of the most important and significant choices, which has shaped the way we do business, is also the one that has allowed us to work ethically towards our clients and advisors.
We have made the right choice.
Orovilla has been an RJC member since 2012, Responsible Jewellery Council, a non-profit organisation that certifies more than 850 companies in the gold production chain in the process from extraction to retail.
RJC obliges members to adhere to a very detailed code of ethics. Human rights, labour rights, environmental impact, clear communication are some of the issues RJC addresses.
RJC also works with multi-stakeholder initiatives on responsible sourcing and supports them to provide wider benefits to members and stakeholders.
The preciousness of gold cannot be separated from respect. Being part of RJC is a great honour for us and a symbol of our daily commitment to ensure a better future for our children, both economically and humanely.
If we strive for our investments to be part of change, it is necessary that the most cherished safe haven asset, physical gold, is also ethical and sustainable.
What is Ethical or Sustainable Gold?
Ethical Gold refers to a type of gold that is mined and processed in harmony with the surrounding ecosystem and in cooperation with the communities involved. Respect for the environment is a necessity for mankind to survive, respect for workers and communities an uncompromising moral obligation.
Gold mining with a view to sustainability and responsibility: some of RJC's key points
- No explosives are to be used, as gold is generally worked on alluvial deposits.
- The use of environmentally incompatible chemicals in mining and substances such as cyanide and mercury for separating ore from waste is excluded.
- Working conditions must meet minimum safety standards, no underage or female workers are employed in particularly heavy and dangerous work, shifts must be defined and fair.
- Preference is given to mines run by cooperatives of miners who can share in the profits or mines that set up operations that improve the lives of local communities by building schools, hospitals and infrastructure.
Did you know... How much does gold cost in social and human terms?
1 in 4 children in the world does not live like a child. A child between the ages of 5 and 17, especially in the poorest countries, is already a labour force. 1 million child slaves work in mines and quarries unregulated by laws and certification. Having come back, like their families, from bloody tribal and civil wars, they see in the gold mines a hope of redemption, but often fall ill, breathe toxic fumes, are victims of accidents or simply do not survive because of fatigue, hunger or thirst.
Gold mining and the UN Sustainable Development Goals
The World Gold Council's new report - Gold Mining's Contribution to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals - shows how the gold mining industry is able to ensure sustainable development within local communities and to meet all 17 of the pivotal goals for such development.
In particular, WGC members are addressing four key thematic areas in the sustainable change of the entire gold supply chain: global partnerships, social integration, economic development, responsible energy use and environmental protection.
There are other extremely sensitive issues for the WGC:
- artisanal and small-scale gold mining is to date one of the main obstacles to the control of the legal gold trade, while also being the preferred channel for incorporating new sustainable dynamics
- the post-pandemic world sees the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) strengthened and expectations are even more ambitious
- Gold has a primary role in the energy transition involving innovative technologies and will be increasingly important and sought after in the future.
Did you know... how much does gold cost in terms of pollution?
The mining industry is among the most polluting on the planet, between energy consumption, mainly from coal and oil, and highly toxic waste. To produce a simple gold ring produces 3 tonnes of waste, and to create two wedding rings with one ounce of gold (about 31 grams) requires processing more than 100 tonnes of rock on average.
It has been estimated that one third of all mercury released by humans into the environment comes from artisanal gold mining. Mercury causes damage to workers' health: it damages the nervous system, liver, thyroid, eyes, cardio-vascular, immune and reproductive systems. Mercury poisoning causes irreversible damage to the brain, liver and kidneys.
Cyanide is also considered one of the most important pollutants. It is highly toxic and lethal to humans in a concentration of only 2%. Leaching waste must be handled with extreme care.
There are numerous studies looking for new methods to extract and separate gold from the waste, many of them promising and low-cost.
Gold and climate change: gold mining is becoming less polluting
Make a conscious and responsible choice. Choose ethical GOLD and companies that have made a value choice.
