Mined vs. Recycled Silver: Why I Made the Chart

When I first started selling eco-jewelry at the Düsseldorf flohmarkt, I realized that most people—including me—didn’t really know the difference between mined and recycled silver. Everyone talks about “sustainability,” but what does that actually mean when it comes to something as small as a ring?

I wanted a clear answer, so I built a chart for my blog comparing the carbon footprint of mined silver versus recycled silver.

On the mined side, the numbers stacked up quickly:

• Massive energy use from diesel trucks and heavy machinery.
• Chemicals like cyanide and mercury used in extraction.
• Land disruption—deforestation, soil erosion, polluted rivers.
  Put together, it made one tall column: a huge environmental cost for something so small.

On the recycled side, the story was different:

• Old jewelry, electronics, and silverware melted down.
• Energy needs cut to a fraction of mining.
• No new forests destroyed or rivers poisoned.
  That bar looked almost tiny next to the mined one.

The chart wasn’t polished or high-tech—just colored bars and numbers—but it made the contrast impossible to ignore. It helped me explain, even to myself, why recycled silver isn’t just “better,” it’s necessary.

Sometimes, all it takes is one simple chart to show that every piece of jewelry carries a footprint—and that choosing recycled means carrying a lighter one.