Where does the gold come from?

From fairly traded new gold and from old gold. At an earlier company I helped set up the trade in Fairtrade gold in Germany — at the time it still had to be imported from the Netherlands.

What does Fairtrade gold mean?

Certified gold from mines that meet standards on working conditions and the environment and pay a premium to the local community. It costs more than standard gold. For a workshop that does not produce in quantity, that hardly matters.

How do you make sure of the stones' origin?

I buy myself, at the trading centres and at selected mines. I know the conditions there because I have been there, and I rely on a network my family has kept for decades.

Position

Where luxury meets real sustainability

Every design and every stone I choose reflects an appetite for perfection. But the real art only shows when beauty and responsibility go together.

At one of my earlier companies, among the first large online retailers for fine jewellery in Europe, we initiated the trade in Fairtrade gold in Germany — at a time when it was not available here and had to be imported from the Netherlands. Working with refineries, we then established Fairtrade gold in the German market.

Mining new gold brings its problems with it. I work exclusively with fairly traded gold — and beyond that I believe the most sustainable source is old gold. For a workshop that does not produce in quantity, that principle fits seamlessly into the way a piece is made.

My journeys to the countries the stones come from have shaped my life; as a child I went with my father. I know the working conditions in the mines I buy from, and I rely on a network of expertise and ethical practice that is centuries old.

The past, redesigned

When clients entrust me with a family heirloom, there is more in it than material. With a careful redesign, fairly traded gold and ethically sourced stones, the piece gets a second life — ready to carry new stories.

If you would like to rethink an old piece of jewellery, write to me: sayhi@mxhm.de

Heirlooms now have a format of their own: renaissance.mxhm.de

Frequent questions

Where the material comes from

Where does the gold come from?: From fairly traded new gold and from old gold. At an earlier company I helped set up the trade in Fairtrade gold in Germany — at the time it still had to be imported from the Netherlands.
What does Fairtrade gold mean?: Certified gold from mines that meet standards on working conditions and the environment and pay a premium to the local community. It costs more than standard gold. For a workshop that does not produce in quantity, that hardly matters.
How do you make sure of the stones' origin?: I buy myself, at the trading centres and at selected mines. I know the conditions there because I have been there, and I rely on a network my family has kept for decades.