Chris Botha, Innovation Division Manager Palloys

Palloys is fortunate to operate under the Pallion Group umbrella giving us consisted gold and silver supply from our sister company, ABC Refinery, which is London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) accredited. This accreditation means that ABC Refinery is now one of only 45 entities globally accredited as both a Gold and Silver LBMA Good Delivery Accredited Refiner. ABC Refinery is the exclusive producer of ABC Bullion gold and silver bullion products.

 This assures our clients of the ethical sourcing of their materials, but also comes with the satisfaction of knowing that our metals are not just ethical but meet strict international guidelines. 

In addition, Palloys is a certified member of the Responsible Jewelry Council (RJC). It’s important to note that while anyone can apply to being a member of the RJC, not everyone is certified by the RJC.

But as proud as we are of certification, that is just the beginning. You only need to look at the global car industry as an example. In the past decade there have been several emission targets introduced, each one more stringent than the last. These sustainability concerns aren’t going away. Any changes to emissions will only get tighter and tighter. The jewellery industry will likely mirror this at some point.

At Palloys we have opted to be an industry leader and see the rules around sustainability guidelines as something to exceed, not merely a target.

The onus should be on every company to lead the way. We should all aim to be showing that the regulations should try and catch up to us. There’s no law that says you can’t use paper, yet it’s commonly used. Does that mean it’s best practice? Businesses should aim to be market leaders in this area. 

Pallion and Palloys choose to be a market leader every day. We look to move forward. We have multiple companies that we use to recycle products we can’t internally reuse. We don’t toss things into landfill. Yes, this is an expensive process, but our clients expect us to be industry leaders in this regard. Together with our clients and partners, we understand it’s better to invest in sustainable practices now. 

Consumers want action. Lip service is no longer excusable at the retail end. Consumers are aware of the environmental impacts that come from consumption, and they want to know that their purchases aren’t contributing to unethical practices.
My advice to jewellery companies looking to become sustainability leaders? Investigate your supplier.

Don’t buy stuff randomly. Ask hard questions. Your supplier should be an open book and want to demonstrate their ethical responsibilities.