Toby Pomeroy was raised in the foothills of the Himalayas and has been fueled since by the artists he knew there to create “nature-infused” jewelry that is beautiful, diverse, and sustainable. Typical metal mining relies on extremely harsh and damaging methods to recover miniscule amounts of precious product from huge swaths of land (usually less than 10g per ton of earth for gold). Holes are blasted to remove and pulverize the dirt/rock, water is added to create a slurry with gold dust in suspension, then solvents are added (mainly cyanide) to chemically isolate the gold. The run off from this process is disastrous and the resultant trauma to the landscape is also a great concern. Toby has become “one of the first industry artisans to exclusively use reclaimed metals” for his 100% reused gold and silver jewelry. To accomplish this he contacted gold suppliers and refiners to supply his cause with reclaimed material. Toby offers a plentiful selection, many hand pounded, and shaped into rings, earrings, pendants, and bracelets all with a natural aura.
Although many mining company make efforts to contain the toxic solvents in specially lined tanks where the cyanide is subsequently recycled for further use the process is energy intense and still damages the land. There is studies that are focused on alternative methods to purify precious metals, such as using microorganisms, however enjoying reclaimed gold is by far preferable. Or, we can kick it old school and bring our pots and pans down to the river!
The designs are so simple, yet very classy. This is something I would love to have, as someone who enjoys tasteful jewelry and keeping eco-friendly.
Pretty jewelry, and thanks for talking about how terrible mining is. But by posting gold or silver, even when it’s reclaimed, you’re encouraging the continued market for non-reclaimed precious metals. People on the street aren’t going to know this was made in an eco-friendly way. It will just reinforce our society’s love of shiny things, and lack of care for the Earth. I think instead we should be trying to show that there are other non-metal alternatives out there. Like… uh… feathers?! That have naturally fallen off happy birds? I’m not sure! I don’t want to encourage more plastic use, either!
This is an interesting article. Thank you for posting it.
In general, I think it is important for individuals to take more responsibility of our earth. I found a neat website that stops postal junk mail helps the environment at the same time. Check it out: http://www.simplestop.net
Excellent site, keep up the good work. I read a lot of blogs on a daily basis and for the most part, people lack substance but, I just wanted to make a quick comment to say I’m glad I found your blog. Thanks,
A definite great read…
925sterlingsilver–925sterlingsilver