Jeweller - November 2023

Left: Wedding band
manufactured by Palloys.
Casting and refining requires
extreme heat.
Bracken explains.
“How we source and manufacture our products impacts our
planet, and this program is our first major foray into jewellery
circularity and evolving the jewellery industry towards a more
sustainable and ethically responsible future.”
The program was launched in partnership with Morris and
Watson, a family-owned precious metal refiner and casting
house operating for nearly 100 years.
Head of sustainability, Kerrie Hockless, reported that the
company recycled more than $200,000 of gold between April
and July.
“We know through research that for every one gram of pure
gold we can push back into recycling engineered products
saves around three tonnes of mining ore and 16 kilos of carbon
emissions,” she told Ragtrader.
Morris and Watson has previously described its precious
metals recycling program as its ‘edge’ in the market, with finetuned
refining designed with environmental impact in mind.
For example, melted and burnt exhaust is evacuated through
afterburners and state-of-the-art smoke and particulate
scrubbing systems. The refinery also uses a custom-designed
air extraction system with an automatic pH dosing system
monitored and recorded daily.
The company also has a comprehensive system of rainwater
usage via roof catchment and tank storage used for melt
machine cooling and recycling.
Best is yet to come
Perhaps the most pleasing factor in this matter is that
Australia’s casting and refining specialists acknowledge that
while the progress has been positive, much work remains to
be done.
Both Chemgold and Morris and Watson are members of the
Responsible Jewellery Council, and Sher said that provided a
valuable framework to structure these initiatives.
“Our membership is a testament to our unwavering
commitment to upholding the highest standards of quality and
ethical conduct. This membership ensures our strict adherence
to the RJC's Code of Practices, encompassing business ethics,
human rights, social impact, and environmental performance,”
he explains.
K E Y FIGURES
Casting & Refining
3200BC
Earliest evidence of
casting processes
discover by
anthropologists.
$US46B
Expected market
value of 3D printing
worldwide by 2026.
$AU23B
The contribution of
Australia's gold industry
to the economy in 2021.
92.5%
Of sterling silver which
is pure silver.
2020
Entry level 3D printers
dropped in price,
leading to a surge of
recreational users.
“As a member of the RJC, we consistently uphold the highest
standards in our industry. These initiatives are an integral
component of our core values and set us apart as a responsible
and sustainable leader in the precious metals and fine
jewellery industry.”
At BECKS, Ingham says that his company has some significant
plans concerning environmental strategy to work towards in
the immediate future.
“We have begun an exciting journey to strategise our net zero
pathway with our ultimate goal to become a carbon-neutral
business before 2030,” he says.
“As part of this major initiative, we are not only addressing our
carbon emission within our direct operations but also across
our entire value chain. By addressing Scope 3 emissions, we
aim to minimise the environmental impact of our business
activities, further contributing to a cleaner, healthier planet.”
Casting and refining have a rich history, with historians
suggesting that South American societies such as the Incas
and Mayans used wax carving to create jewellery thousands
of years ago.
Farago says this attachment to tradition has proven to be
a double-edged sword regarding an increasing desire for
‘sustainable’ practices.
The desire to stick with ‘tried and tested’ methods discourages
companies from exploring newly developed and more
environmentally friendly techniques.
On the other hand, traditional methods tend to use less energy
because they were designed when mass manufacturing was
less advanced and energy-dependent.
“Jewellery is a very ‘old’ trade, and it can be difficult to find
room for development,” he explains.
“Casting practices have changed over time, and 3D printing has
been introduced, but we are using many of the same processes
invented 50 to 100 years ago. We are also manufacturing the
same products we always have, so we just have to do it better."
If the trend of ‘environmentally conscious’ consumers
continues to increase, it’s important that your business can
ease any concerns potential customers may have confidently.
Fortunately, many of Australia’s precious metals suppliers are
moving in the same direction.
November 2023 | 43