Chemicals may be used to extract gold from rock even in Fairtrade or Fairmined certified mines. The distinction is that the Fairmined standard for Gold as well as the Fairtrade Standard for Gold has strict rules about  the responsible use of toxic substances such as mercury or cyanide. There are requirements requiring closed loop systems to ensure that no residues enter local waterways and that both nature and people are equally protected.

The Standard for Fairmined Ecological Gold  does not allow the use of chemicals in the mining process. Gravitational methods are used instead in order to extract gold from rock.