Reflective Jewelry announces the launch of the first wedding rings made from ethically sourced, mercury-free artisanal gold from the Democratic Republic of Congo. “This project represents a long-awaited breakthrough with the potential to create meaningful change in our industry,” says Kyle Abraham Bi, owner and CEO of Reflective Jewelry.
Since 2020, Reflective Jewelry, a leader in ethical jewelry in North America, has served as a consultant and liaison between North American jewelers and Society Artisanal, thanks to the US$12 million USAID-funded program Zahabu Safi. During a 2021 trip to the DRC, Bi represented North American jewelers to local miners and government officials, while also consulting with project organizers and advising the board of Ethical Metalsmiths and the wider jewelry trade. His insights were documented in a Jewellery Business article titled Flexibilité: Clean Gold from the Heart of Darkness?
“What’s particularly exemplary about Society Artisanal is that their project allows miners to reap the benefit of their minerals, is entirely scalable, mercury-free, and traceable to source through blockchain technology,” Bi notes.
“We hope to see this project connect those purchasing a wedding ring with small-scale gold miners in the Congo,” Bi adds. “This type of relationship grounds a new kind of supply chain—a break from the historical exploitation which has turned many resources in the mineral-rich Congo into a curse.”
