Responsible Sourcing

Responsible Artisanal Mined Gold

The artisanal and small-scale gold we purchase is sourced from mines located in Peru and Colombia, all participating either in the Swiss Better Gold initiative or in Fairtrade certification schemes.

The Swiss Better Gold Association, a not-for-profit initiative created by Swiss players, from refiners to retailers in the gold supply chain, aims at creating a simple market-driven mechanism that enables formalised gold miners to adopt more socially inclusive and better environmental practices. Some 6,200 miners, both men and women, have benefited from the Swiss Better Gold Association, by complying with Swiss Better Gold Association criteria or its certification systems. In addition, 31,000 people have been helped indirectly thanks to improvements in the incomes of mining families and their communities*.

Barequeros

A unique fully-traceable sourcing initiative from responsible artisanal Gold Panners. Since 2019, Chopard has been involved in a challenging project to support artisanal communities supplying gold from the “Barequeros”, artisanal gold miners from El Chocó in Colombia. This exciting and rewarding pilot initiative has built a fully-traceable and responsible international supply chain as well as improving the livelihoods of more than 800 independent individual miners.

The Barequeros have received support from an on-the-ground expert team to attain Swiss Better Gold criteria of socially and environmentally responsible mining practices. The programme ensures that the miners receive not only a competitive price but also a special Incentive of 0.70 USD per gram for them to reinvest in improving their living and working conditions. Also, barred until recently from the financial system, the Barequeros have succeeded in opening bank accounts.