Why Metalsmiths and Jewelers Care About Mining Law Reform

Metalsmiths and jewelers are the mining industry’s face to the public. Jewelers are increasingly left to answer tough questions from customers about "dirty gold" and account for poor practices in the mining industry.

Our work depends upon metal. We want to have confidence that the  materials we use come from mines that operate responsibly. The fact is, they are operating under a law that has not been updated since 1872. This law gives away publicly-owned land and minerals without regard to the public interest, fails to address environmental problems associated modern mining, ignores environmental and health hazards at abandoned mines, does not respect the rights of indigenous people and does not does not protect important religious, cultural and historic place.

We support mining reform for ethical and economic reasons. Irresponsible mining undermines the integrity of our work. Our customers have come to expect more accountability than we can provide.  Our work demands materials from mines that are regulated by sensible modern laws. Jewelers and metalsmiths have a stake in mining reform!