FASHION Do you know where your gold jewelry comes from? Probably not. Can you name a single gold company? Hmm, probably no again. Until recently, most of us had no idea where anything we buy comes from, but with climate change getting visible, we're starling to know more about the origins of our goods and demand cleaner, greener production, as well as information about what we're buying, Before a gold ring gets put on your finger, the material has passed through many hands, but it starts with the mining ‘company that takes it out of the earth. The mining companies are the biggest winners in the high stakes game of gold, and they have always been insular and secretive, mainly because they are making enormous profits while causing some of the worst environmental damage of any industry. To make a gold ring, these mining companies moved 100 tons of earth from a mountain, poured cyanide into 30 tons of earth, and left 20 tons of toxic waste behind: all to produce no more than a ring’s worth of gold. As a jewelry designer, I've worked extensively with gold, and love gold, but | had no idea how much damage the mining of gold is responsible for. It tums out that the mining of gold alone is responsible for more than haif of the toxic waste produced by industries in the U.S. every year, even though the U.S. has some of the most rigorous standards that exist for mining in the world. In countries that are the centers of gold mining and exploration like Peru, Guatemala, and Ghana, regulations are far more lax and governments are turning a blind eye to operations that are poisoning drinking water, spewing mer- cury into the air which spreads far beyond the area around the mine, taking and destroying land that belongs to the people who live there, and leaving behind an environmental hazard that must be cleaned and taken care of forever. ‘There are many cases a year of mercury and cyanide spills, leading to irreparable disasters for all humans, ani- mals, and plants in the area, with mining companies usually scuttling away from responsibility for cleaning it up. ‘There are a lot of things we need to be concerned about in this new age of environmental awareness, but the mining of gold is truly shocking in its enormous costs to the planet which are extreme and long-lasting, and yet hardly acknowledged by mining companies and governments thal are supposed to be responsible for their effects and clean-up. Thankfully, this is starting to get some much-deserved attention and consumers are becoming aware of the consequences of their gold purchases. Last week, WWD ran an article highlighting some changes being made by retailers, who are under pressure from ‘consumers and also taking responsibility for what they sell. Some retailers, notably Tiffany, are making promises to sell only gold procured from mines which reach higher standards of environmental and human rights protection, Ultimately, this is where changes will gain momentum. If enough consumers, retailers, and design companies will not use or buy gold unless its provenance is known and it has been extracted using these higher standards, then the mining companies will have to respond. They are digging for our jewelry after all. Hopefully, governments will recognize that they should have been regulating this all along, and finally start. There are some great organizations that are working towards this end. The Initiative for Responsible Mining Assur- ance is developing guidelines for mining operations with environmental, human rights and social standards. An- other group, No Dirty Gold, is raising awareness and demanding action on this crucial issue. You can show your support by signing their pledge here: http:/www.nodirtygold.org/take_action.cfm After all, how much is your gold ring worth if it comes at such high costs? To find out more about the costs of mining gold, check out this great series of articles from the New York Times: hittp:www.nytimes.com/2005/10/24/international/24GOLD. html by Laura Rysman