ORIGINS & IMPACT
Gold Certifications & Sourcing Models
Not every origin is equal. We intentionally offer several sourcing options side by side: certified small-scale mining with a guaranteed minimum price and premium, traceable large-scale mining at competitive pricing, and post-consumer recycling — gold that's already in circulation. Alongside these, Fairmined Credits offer a way to support certified small-scale mining financially, without any physical metal changing hands.
Each option has its place. Which one is right for you or your customers depends on the impact level you're looking for — and whether you want physical metal with a documented origin, or simply want to fund certified mining directly.
CERTIFIED — TRACEABLE — HIGH IMPACT
Certified Gold from Small-Scale Mining
Fairtrade Gold, Fairmined Gold, and Fairmined Ecological Gold are certified gold from artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM). They represent our core impact line, and the clearest link between the gold you buy and the community that mined it.
All three are physically segregated, traceable and independently certified from mine to product.
Fairtrade Gold
The original fair-trade model for gold and as a label well known beyond. With a guaranteed floor price plus a premium of $2,000 /kg the mining community decides how to spend.
- Gold certified by Fairtrade Standards, verified by FLOCERT
- Minimum price paid to mining organization: 95 %
- Mercury & cyanide use limited and controlled
This seal is used for gold certified by Fairtrade standards.
www.fairtrade.gold
Fairmined Gold
A certified path toward safer mining, with mercury use phased out on fixed, verifiable milestones plus a premium of $4,000 /kg the mining community decides how to spend.
- Gold certified by Fairmined Standards, verified by SCS Global Services
- Minimum price paid to mining organization: 95 %
- Mercury being phased out, on a fixed timeline
This seal is used for gold certified by Fairmined Standards.
www.fairmined.org
Fairmined Eco Gold
The strictest gold standard in our portfolio — mined with zero mercury and zero cyanide plus a premium of $6,000 /kg the mining community decides how to spend.
- Gold certified by Fairmined Ecological Standards, verified by SCS Global Services
- Minimum price paid to mining organization: 95 %
- No mercury or cyanide. Gold is separated with gravity and water alone, and the land is restored afterward
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This seal is used for gold certified by Fairmined Ecological Standards.
www.fairmined.org
TRACEABLE — MEDIUM IMPACT
Traceable Sourcing Models
Single Mine Origin (SMO) Gold, Small Craft Gold, and Fairever ASM Silver are traceable back to a named mine, though not all through the same mechanism: SMO and Small Craft are each verified through an external chain-of-custody audit, while Fairever ASM Silver is documented and segregated by us directly. These mines operate in line with Fairever's sourcing policy.
Small Craft Gold
Swiss Made by Argor-Heraeus, an LBMA-accredited refiner. Every bar carries a serial number linked to Argor-Heraeus's own traceability portal, documenting the artisanal and small-scale (ASM) sourcing programme it came from.
- Sourced exclusively from ASM mines accredited under one of three programmes — Swiss Better Gold, Fairmined, or Fairtrade
- A price premium supports the mining operations this gold is sourced from
- Mines are checked against responsible-sourcing standards, from water use to worker safety
Product line by Swiss-based Argor-Heraeus
www.argor-heraeus.com
Single Mine Origin (SMO) Gold
Traceable gold from named large-scale mines, refined at an LBMA-accredited refinery with a full external chain-of-custody audit. Available in large quantities for bigger product lines and priced competitive.
- Every batch is traceable to a single named SMO member mine
- Verified through an external chain-of-custody audit, refined at an LBMA-accredited refinery
- Each mine reports against independently audited standards — RGMP, IRMA, or ICMM — with results published annually
Sourcing model by the Betts Group
www.smogold.com
Fairever ASM Silver
Traceable silver from small-scale mines, sourced as a by-product of gold production. We document its supply chain ourselves, back to each mine.
- Sourced from Fairtrade certified mines Nueva Teresita and CECOMSAP as well as from SOTRAMI, which was not certified at the time this particular silver was purchased
- Documented and segregated by us back to each mine
- No separate mining process as this silver is a by-product of gold production
Product line by Fairever
www.fairever.gold
RECYCLED
Recycled Gold & Silver from Post-Consumer Sources
Post-consumer recycled gold and AgAIN Silver are Fairever's recycled lines: metal that already existed, refined and documented rather than newly mined.
If mine-level traceability and measurable impact for mining communities matter more to you, that's what Fairtrade, Fairmined, and Single Mine Origin gold are for.
Post-Consumer Recycled Gold
Post-Consumer Recycled Gold refined by the Betts Group, the UK's oldest precious metal refinery (est. 1760), in a fully segregated process. Every batch is tested to 999.9 ‰ before it leaves the refinery.
- Sourced exclusively from end-of-life jewelry, watches, dental alloys, electronics, and industrial residues
- 100% post-consumer material, as defined by RJC Chain of Custody 2024 and SCS-103 – pre-consumer material and melted investment gold are excluded
- Not traceable to a mine – the material's origin before recycling is unknown
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Product line by Fairever
www.fairever.gold
AgAIN Silver
Recovered from used medical X-ray film collected from UK hospitals, in a fully segregated process from recovery through refining. Hospitals earn a rebate on film, instead of paying to store it.
- Sourced from used medical X-ray film of UK hospitals
- Documented and segregated refining by the Betts Group
- Not traceable to a mine – the material's origin before recycling is unknown
Product line by the Betts Group
www.bettsmetalsales.com
BOOK-AND-CLAIM — NOT PHYSICAL METAL — HIGH IMPACT
Fairmined Credits
Fairmined Credits work differently from everything above: no physical metal changes hands. A credit is a book-and-claim instrument. Buying a credit doesn't turn your own gold into Fairmined gold, and it can't be labeled or marketed as such — what it does is send the full Fairmined Premium to a certified mining organization, when physical Fairmined or Fairtrade gold isn't an option for you.
Fairmined Credits
Each Fairmined Credit represents one gram of gold produced under the social, ecological, and economic requirements of the Fairmined Standard. Credits let you support certified small-scale mining without changing your existing supply chain.
- 1 credit = 1 gram of gold produced under the Fairmined Standard
- $5 per credit: $4 Fairmined Premium to the certified mine, $0.70 development fee to ARM, $0.30 administrative fee to Fairever
- No physical metal changes hands — you receive a certificate, not Fairmined gold, and the product it's applied to may not be labeled or marketed as Fairmined Gold
Impact mechanism administered by ARM (Alliance for Responsible Mining)
www.responsiblemines.org
IMPACT ORGANIZATIONS
Together, we can reach the whole world.
This is why we engage in organizations that fight for change within our industry. Click on their logos below to learn more.
