Book chapter
Does Responsible Gold Certification Enhance Transparency?: The Knowledge and Communication of Jewellers
Erwin Lefoll, Antoinette van der Merwe, Isabel Günther
2025
#Mining
The fine jewellery industry has faced increased scrutiny since the ‘blood diamond’ scandal in the 1990s, which exposed severe human rights abuses and the funding of armed conflict through diamond sales. This revelation led to a broader review of mineral sourcing practices, particularly focusing on gold. There is a growing body of literature showing that gold mining is associated with environmental degradation, health hazards, precarious working conditions, child labour, and links to illegal armed groups (e.g., Ahlerup et al. 2020; Brugger et al. 2024; Bugmann et al. 2022; Knoblauch et al. 2020; Santos 2018; Van der Merwe 2022; Zabsonré et al. 2018).
