Pandora completes shift to use entirely recycled silver and gold

Jewellery specialist Pandora has officially completed its mission to utilise 100 percent recycled silver and gold in its crafting process. The shift means the company has achieved what it had initially set out to do earlier this year as part of a wider transformation of its entire precious metals supply.

From now onwards, the company said all of its new jewellery will be made from recycled silver and gold, with the first products attaining to this quality to be in stores from early 2025. The shift aims to avoid “significant greenhouse gas emissions, as mining requires more energy and resources than recycling”, a press release said.

President and CEO of Pandora, Alexander Lacik, reaffirmed this stance, stating: “Silver and gold are our most important raw materials, and by moving to 100 percent recycled we reduce our climate impact significantly without compromising on quality or craftsmanship. This achievement is unparallelled in the industry and a major step towards a more circular business model.”

To carry out the shift to recycled metals, which is estimated to cost an additional 10 million dollars annually, Pandora said it worked over several years with employees and in close collaboration with silver and gold suppliers. As such, an audit was conducted and found more than 40 sites that fell in accordance with the Responsible Jewellery Council’s Chain of Custody standards. Pandora had put a halt on sourcing newly mined silver and gold in December 2023.

It builds on similar efforts elsewhere at the company, which has also stopped using mined gemstones in favour of lab-grown diamonds and other man-made stones, such as cubic zirconia. This latest revelation, however, comes ahead of Climate Week New York, which will be celebrated at a refurbished Pandora Lexington Avenue store, where 100 percent recycled silver jewellery and its lab-grown diamond collection will be on display.