The Alliance for Responsible Mining (ARM), creators of the Fairmined initiative, and Tracemark are joining key efforts in responsible and traceable gold sourcing.

The partnership established between Tracemark, a worldwide standard for traceable jewelry, and the global leading standard in responsible ASGM developed by Alliance for Responsible Mining (ARM), the Fairmined standard, is a way to guarantee full traceability of the gold used in a single piece of jewelry, by providing evidence on its journey through the entire supply chain, from the mine to the hands of the end consumer.

This alliance was born out of shared values from the two organizations, which seek to guarantee the protection of human rights and promote sustainable practices in the extraction process of precious metals used in the jewelry industry. And one of the key ways this can be achieved is by using segregated materials that have been extracted by certified mining organizations that go through exhaustive audits every year to comply with the Fairmined standard.

With this project, both organizations focus on incentivizing transparency in the jewelry sector by providing the right tools to the end consumer, so that they can make purchasing decisions that are aligned with their personal values, and that promote collaboration among key actors of the supply chain towards a more ethical industry.

Tracemark, is the first organization that focuses on providing full traceability for each individual piece of jewelry, from the origin of each one of its source materials, all the way to the end consumer, ensuring that each step of the supply chain complies with the highest standards in responsible sourcing. Tracemark has been internationally recognized as the “Most innovative business of 2022” by the prestigious luxury accelerator, Positive Luxury, for designing a unique traceability system based on in-house technology that uses encrypted software.

The Alliance for Responsible Mining (ARM), has been a leader in accompanying and guiding small-scale mining organizations to adopt the best practices in the gold extraction industry and has created internationally recognized standards that have transformed the artisanal and small-scale mining sector (ASM). Fairmined is the highest assurance label, that guarantees the gold produced by certified mines, has the most ethical and responsible gold, following practices that preserve the environment and promote fair mining. To ensure human rights, Fairmined certified mining organizations must ensure working conditions comply with all safety and health regulations, promote the well-being of miners and the community, ensure there is no child labor nor armed conflict involved in the mining activity, promote gender equality, and ensure responsible extraction and productions practices are met.

Fairmined & Tracemark, “The golden partnership, a key step towards ethical jewelry.”

This partnership signifies that the Fairmined standard has officially been included in the Tracemark protocol. This means that the powerful regulated protocol is now combined with an assurance label where traceability is met by complying with the strict guides of the standard, going through annual third-party audits, and are also accredited by the RJC.

How does it work? Traceable pieces of jewelry that comply with the Fairmined standards, follow the labeled sourcing model. Brands and suppliers that use this model, could opt for Tracemark’s unique alphanumeric code engraved on a jewelry piece which is accompanied by a QR code that will provide the end consumer, access to a traceability panel containing the traceability information and the story of the origin or their piece (including the mine it comes from, and the people involved in sourcing and producing it).

“The jewelry industry is an economic activity that feeds over 30 million families worldwide. The livelihood of over 150,000 people depend on the artisanal and small-scale mining sector. Considering this is a sector where irregular mining is predominant, we are faced with the need to promote changes and transparency in the sector. Sustainability is a long run goal, and our responsibility as industry leaders is to promote sustainable development, ensure human rights, and protection of the environment. The collaboration between institutions is the way towards a bigger positive impact, and that is what this partnership symbolizes: Fairmined and Tracemark are an alliance to promote transparency.

Berta Serret – CEO & Founder Tracemark: “Our purpose is to transform artisanal and small-scale mining into a positive force, respectful of human rights and the environment, in this way we work hand in hand with the miners, and their communities and connect them with the markets that seek responsible gold. For us, this alliance with Tracemark means making Fairmined certified gold available to thousands of jewelers, which is part of a transparent supply chain. This alliance allows us to broaden the reach of our most important message: Fairmined precious metals are obtained with the best mining practices in the artisanal and small-scale sector, guaranteeing the protection of biodiversity and human rights.”