Creating statement jewellery through collaborative design

As standard I use SMO gold in the workshop. It’s a traceable yet commercially competitive option which I believe contributes to rises in standards in the gold mining industry while also providing a good price for customers. SMO Gold is currently sourced in Mali (at the Yanfolila Mine) and Cote D’Ivoire (at the Ity Mine). You can read more about SMO Gold here: https://singlemineorigin.com/ I am able to source and work fairtrade gold, though this option carries an extra premium. I can also work with your own heirloom metals.

‘Carat’ or ‘Karat’ is the term used to measure the purity of gold alloys. It refers to how much pure or fine gold is in the alloy. 24ct Gold contains 99.9% fine gold. 22ct Gold contains 91.6% fine gold. 18ct Gold contains 75% fine gold. 14ct Gold contains 58.5% fine gold. 9ct Gold contains 37.5% fine gold.

No yet. While the bullion industry has embraced supplying 100% recycled gold and silver it hasn't yet produced a reliable supply of recycled platinum.

This varies hugely, depending upon the stone I’m sourcing. Without exception though I buy from diamond dealers who adhere to the Kimberley Process or are members of the Responsible Jewellery Council. The trade in coloured stones is less closely controlled so I buy from reputable dealers who, ideally, can trace stones back to their source. If you’d like a stone from a particular part of the world, or a recycled one, I’m happy to do my best to source one.

The vast majority of the waste generated in jewellery workshops is recycled, because of the value of the materials involved. I save all my metal offcuts, melt then down and re-use them. Smaller waste like dust, used sandpaper, pickling fluids and polishing extract is collected up (I even clean the benches with baby wipes so that no dust escapes). Every couple of years I send this waste to a metal refiner who melts it down, purifies it and extracts the gold value for me. The precious metals then go back into the metal supply chain as recycled gold etc. If you want to learn more about refining workshop waste there’s a video of the process by my refiner, Pressman Mastermelt, here: Non-metal waste like paper/plastic is recycled through the usual channels.

No. Tin is a metal that’s generally considered too soft for everyday jewellery. While tin jewellery is produced in some places it’s not a material that I work with. Cornwall Gold, based at Tolgus Mill near Redruth produce a gold and silver alloy which contains trace elements of Cornish tin. If you’re looking for jewellery which includes tin then they’re worth checking out.

I'm afraid not (though if you've got some I'd love to melt it down for you!) Gold isn't currently commercially mined in Cornwall and while it can be found in alluvial deposits by gold panners it's pretty rare stuff. The new gold that I use is sourced in Africa and I also work with customers recycled metals.