Pandora now crafts its jewellery with 100% recycled silver and gold

Following a transformation of its entire precious metals supply, Pandora is now crafting all jewellery with 100% recycled silver and gold. By using recycled silver and gold instead of newly mined metals, Pandora avoids 58,000 tons CO₂ per year.

Pandora, the world’s largest jewellery brand, today announced it has completed its transformative shift to use only recycled silver and gold in its crafting. This means that all new jewellery is now made from recycled silver and gold. The two precious metals can be recycled forever without any loss of quality. 

“Silver and gold are our most important raw materials, and by moving to 100% recycled we reduce our climate impact significantly without compromising on quality or craftsmanship. This achievement is unparallelled in the industry and a major step towards a more circular business model,” said Alexander Lacik, President & CEO at Pandora.

Less CO₂
Pandora sells more than 100 million pieces of jewellery annually, and the shift avoids significant greenhouse gas emissions, as mining requires more energy and resources than recycling. The carbon footprint of recycled silver is one-third compared to mined silver, while the recycling of gold produces less than 1% of the carbon emissions from mining new gold. 

As an example, the carbon footprint of a Pandora family tree charm made with 100% recycled silver is only 230 grams CO₂, which is less than the emissions of a café latte. 

To put this into further context, if all silver and gold used by the entire jewellery industry came from recycled sources, it would avoid more than 53 million tonnes of CO₂. This is similar to the annual carbon footprint of New York City.

New York store marks milestone during Climate Week
To mark the shift, Pandora’s store on Lexington Avenue will be refurbished during Climate Week New York. The store will display different types of silver jewellery including charms, bracelets, rings, earrings and necklaces – all crafted from 100% recycled silver. It will also be possible to buy Pandora’s lab-grown diamonds collection. This collection has been made from 100% recycled silver and gold since 2022.

Pandora stopped sourcing newly mined silver and gold in December 2023 and has since then worked to deplete its non-recycled inventory. This is now complete which means all jewellery is now crafted with 100% recycled silver and gold. The first of these products will appear in stores by early 2025.  

The shift to using recycled metals is the culmination of several years of intensive effort by over 100 Pandora employees. The company has collaborated closely with all its silver and gold suppliers and has conducted audits at more than 40 sites in accordance with the Responsible Jewellery Council’s Chain of Custody standard. Pandora estimates that the annual additional cost of using 100% recycled silver and gold is approximately USD 10 million.

As part of its shift to recycled and renewable materials, Pandora has also stopped using mined gemstones. The company only uses lab-grown diamonds and other man-made stones, such as cubic zirconia. Pandora's lab-grown diamonds have been grown, cut and polished using 100% renewable energy, resulting in a carbon footprint that is approximately five percent of that of a mined diamond.

FACTS ABOUT RECYCLED SILVER AND GOLD  Precious metals can be recycled forever without any loss of quality. Regardless of their use, they will never decay. Silver originally mined centuries ago is just as good as new.   Pandora sold 107 million pieces of jewellery in 2023. By sourcing recycled instead of newly mined silver and gold, Pandora avoids around 58,000 tonnes of CO2 per year. This is similar to the emissions from the annual electricity use of 11,000 homes or driving 6,000 cars around the world.  All refineries in Pandora’s supply chain are certified to the Responsible Jewellery Council’s Chain of Custody standard. As well as ensuring a robust process is in place to segregate recycled from mined materials, the certification also reviews the social and environmental management systems of the refinery, including their supply chain and sourcing practices.   Silver and gold are used in a wide range of industrial applications including electronics, medical equipment and chemical production. Pandora’s refiners source gold and silver from industrial waste, manufacturing scraps, old jewellery or silverware, and other materials. Less than 20% of the world's silver supply and less than 25% of the world's gold come from recycled sources, reflecting a potential to increase the use of recycled sources across industries.

About Pandora 

Pandora is the world’s largest jewellery brand. The company designs, manufactures and markets hand-finished jewellery made from high-quality materials at accessible price points Pandora jewellery is sold in more than 100 countries through 6,700 points of sale, including more than 2,600 concept stores.

Headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, Pandora employs 33,000 people worldwide and crafts its jewellery at three crafting facilities in Thailand using only recycled silver and gold. Pandora is committed to leadership in sustainability and has set out to halve greenhouse gas emissions across its value chain by 2030. The company is listed on the Nasdaq Copenhagen stock exchange and generated revenue of DKK 28.1 billion (EUR 3.8 billion) in 2023.

For more information, please contact:

Johan Melchior VP, Media Relations & Public Affairs +45 4060 1415 jome@pandora.net

Lejla Charif Manager, Media Relations & Public Affairs +45 3165 6403 lecha@pandora.net