Gold jewellery is a timeless gift, but gold itself is a limited resource. Rather than purchasing jewellery made of newly mined gold, consider buying pieces made from recycled gold. Mining gold is financially costly as well as environmentally costly.
Fortunately, there is plenty of recycled gold available as we look to help the environment by making our designs using recycled gold.
Key Takeaways
- Same gold: you get the same purity as the day it was mined.
- Many sources: it comes from old jewellery, coins, electronics and dental work.
- Less new mining: when you choose it, you reduce the need to dig new gold from the ground.
- Still a minority: recycled gold made up about 28% of global gold supply in 2025.
- Our choice: we use recycled gold in our handcrafted rings.
Sourcing Recycled Gold
Recycled gold comes from several sources. These are the most common ones you will come across.
- Jewellery and coins: these are easy sources.
- Electronics: recycled gold can also come from televisions, mobile phones, and other household electronic devices.
- Dentistry: dentists can also recycle gold from fillings and other procedures.
- Vehicles and circuit boards: older vehicles with catalytic converters and electronics with circuit boards also have recyclable gold.
Processing Recycled Gold
Gold from industrial and electronic applications needs to be processed before it can be used to make jewellery. Usually, recyclers have to remove gold from housings and pass it through a chemical-stripping procedure. Some gold is melted down, cooled, and ground.
When recycling gold from jewellery or coins, the process you would see looks like this:
- Test: recyclers evaluate the quality with an acid kit or spectrometer.
- Sort: the gold is sorted by quality.
- Melt: it is melted in a crucible at an extremely high temperature.
- Pour: the gold is poured into a bar shape.
- Refine: it is smelted again to burn off more impurities.
The advantage of using recycled gold is that the quality does not degrade. Gold's purity remains the same as the day it was mined.
Recycling gold involves fewer chemicals and less environmental disruption than mining new gold from the ground. Gold does not oxidise or corrode, unlike other metals, so it keeps its value no matter how long ago it was removed from the ground.
Why Avoid New Gold?
Industrial miners commonly use cyanide to remove gold from the ore. If it is not handled properly, it can contaminate soil and water. They use heap leaching or vat leaching.
- Heap leaching: cyanide is sprayed over crushed ore.
- Vat leaching: the cyanide is mixed with ore in a tank. The cyanide is more controlled in vat leaching, but the process still creates waste which can become problematic if not handled properly.
Mining gold requires moving a significant amount of earth. Along with putting harmful chemicals into the ground, gold mining also involves digging large pits or shafts with heavy machinery that consumes fossil fuels. Mining can also disrupt ecosystems and animal homes. Using recycled gold slows these harmful practices.
| Point | Recycled gold | Newly mined gold |
|---|---|---|
| Where it comes from | Existing jewellery, coins, electronics | Ore dug from the ground |
| Purity | Same as the day it was mined | Same gold once refined |
| Earth moved | None for the gold itself | A significant amount of earth |
| Chemicals | Fewer chemicals | Cyanide commonly used |
Urban Mining for Precious Gold
Rather than continuing to harm the environment, those with unused gold sitting around in jewellery boxes, safes, and electronics could turn in their gold and slow the need for harmful mining to continue. Rather than mining in the earth for new precious metals, urban miners can source metals like gold from offices, apartments, and basements.
Urban mining means looking for gold in places like these, some of which you may have at home:
- Old electronics: phones, computers and televisions.
- Old vehicles: catalytic converters and circuit boards.
- Jewellery boxes: pieces that are no longer worn.
- Safe deposit boxes: gold that is stored and unused.
People in big cities need incentives to bring old electronics and unused gold jewellery to recycling centres so that harmful mining practices become less necessary.
Jewellers Using Recycled Gold
At Vinny&Charles, we are working hard to become environmentally ethical and sustainable. We're turning to recycled gold because of the unethical mining practices, and we use recycled gold in our rings. After processing, it is just as good as gold that has yet to be mined.
Gold can be recycled over and over and still be just as good as it was the day it was mined. By reusing gold, the environment can be protected from additional harm. You can read more on our Ethos page and in our post on how our gold recycling process works.
| Global gold supply, 2025 | Tonnes |
|---|---|
| Recycled gold | 1,404.3 |
| Total gold supply | 5,002.3 |
| Recycled share | About 28% |
Not all gold in circulation is recyclable, because it is being used or worn. Because gold is valuable, families tend to keep heirlooms. So at this time, new gold is still needed. According to the World Gold Council, recycled gold supplied about 28% of global gold supply in 2025 (1,404.3 tonnes of 5,002.3 tonnes).
How to Check if Jewellery Uses Recycled Gold
If a jeweller says their gold is recycled, you can ask them a few simple questions. If you get a clear answer, that is a good sign.
- Where is the gold sourced? Ask whether it comes from recycled sources such as old jewellery and electronics.
- Is it all of the gold? Ask whether every ring is made with recycled gold or only some pieces.
- Is it in writing? Look for the claim on the jeweller's website, such as an ethos or sustainability page.
- Who makes the ring? Handcrafted pieces made close to home are easier to ask about.
You are welcome to ask us any of these questions about our own rings.
Choosing Sustainability
When you buy recycled gold, you are choosing a piece where new gold did not have to be mined to make your jewellery. Of course, the gold had to be removed at some point in history. Much like conflict-free diamonds, recycled gold is a more thoughtful choice for the planet.
Repurposing and recycling gold benefits the artisans who make new jewellery. When you support artisans who work with recycled gold, you show your support for sustainability and you reduce the need for new mining to happen.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is recycled gold?
Recycled gold is gold that you or someone else has used before and is melted down and refined to be used again. It comes from sources like old jewellery, coins, electronics and dental work. After processing, it has the same purity as gold that has just been mined.
Is recycled gold as good as new gold?
Yes. Gold's purity remains the same as the day it was mined, and recycling does not degrade the quality. Gold does not oxidise or corrode, so recycled gold can be used to make jewellery that is just as good as gold that has yet to be mined.
How much gold is recycled?
According to the World Gold Council, recycled gold supplied about 28% of global gold supply in 2025. That was 1,404.3 tonnes out of 5,002.3 tonnes. New gold is still needed because not all gold in circulation can be recycled, and many families keep their heirlooms.
Do you use recycled gold in your rings?
Yes, we use recycled gold in our handcrafted rings, so you can choose a piece without new gold being mined for it. Every ring is handcrafted in Perth. You can read about our approach on our Ethos page, or call us on +61 8 6323 8494 and you can ask which gold options suit the ring you have in mind.
Browse Our Recycled Gold Rings
Ready to choose jewellery made with recycled gold? You can start by looking at our rings. Browse our ethical engagement rings and gold wedding rings, or call us on +61 8 6323 8494. Every ring is handcrafted in Perth, with free express shipping.
