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Dec 4, 2007 10:31 pm US/Central
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'Green' Gold Helps Couples Reduce Impact On Earth
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
If you're shopping for jewelry this holiday season there may be more to think about than just whether you want white or yellow gold.
More people are now asking about "green" gold. CBS 2's Rob Johnson reports on just what it is, and if it should be on your wish list.
When Carla and Ryan Lents decided to tie the knot, they wanted to tie in their love for all things green.
"We tried to do as many things as possible to make our wedding a little easier on the environment," Carla Lents said.
That included designing invitations made from recycled paper and using only organic flowers. Buying the right rings was important too, which raised concern about how gold is most commonly mined.
"I think it's something we need to consider," Ryan Lents said.
Gold mining, like all mining, changes the landscape and chemicals are often used in the extraction process.
"Twenty tons of waste are generated by the production of one gold ring," said Scott Cardiff of the
No Dirty Gold campaign.
Cardiff claims that gold mining is one of the dirtiest industries, and it needs to be cleaned up. So No Dirty Gold is calling on the industry to adopt a uniform set of standards. But the
World Gold Council, which is made up of some of the largest mines, says it is already working to address those concerns.
"I'm proud of the what the gold mining industry is trying to do here," said George Milling-Stanley of the World Gold Council.
But Cardiff wants to go a step further, calling for an actual certification process.
"So that when you go to a jewelry store and want more ethical jewelry they can actually say here's our certification that we are actually sourcing from a more responsible mine," Cardiff said.
Another alternative to traditional jewelry to consider is recycled jewelry. A company called
Green Karat will melt down any gold you send in and make new pieces for you. It doesn't even matter what gold you recycle.
"We take out all the alloys which is what lends color to gold. Depending on whether you want white gold or yellow gold, we will add fresh alloys and make brand new pieces," Green Karat's Matthew White said.
That's what the Lents did – they sent in old family rings to make beautiful new ones.
"I think the symbology that we have family gold incorporated into the rings and that they're created in an environmentally friendly way makes them more special," Carla Lents said.
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