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Edelmetalle: Gold, Silber, Platin und Platinmetalle: Rhodium, Palladium, Iridium, Osmium und Ruthenium.

What precious metals are there?

Lesezeit: 2 min

Precious metals include gold, silver, platinum and their alloys – i.e. combinations with other metals – as well as the platinum metals rhodium, palladium, iridium, osmium and ruthenium.

Recycled gold, also known as scrap gold, has become increasingly popular in recent years, and for good reasons. This sustainable approach to using gold offers numerous benefits that impact both the environment and the economy. A key benefit of recycled gold is its eco-friendliness. Traditional gold mining is an extremely resource-intensive process that has a significant environmental impact. It results in land pollution, water waste, and the release of toxic chemicals into the environment. Recycled gold, on the other hand, does not require new mining. It is extracted from pre-existing jewelry, electronics, or other sources and reprocessed. This significantly reduces the environmental impact and helps conserve natural resources. Another key benefit is the reduction in energy and water consumption. Extracting new gold requires significant amounts of energy and water, resulting in high carbon emissions. In contrast, reusing scrap gold requires fewer resources and helps reduce the gold industry's environmental footprint. This is especially important at a time when sustainability and climate change are becoming increasingly pressing issues. Using recycled gold also helps reduce the financing of conflict. In some regions of the world, gold is mined and sold to finance conflict. This can lead to human rights abuses and unstable political situations. Choosing to use recycled gold helps reduce the demand for new gold from such questionable sources, thus helping to promote ethical jewelry. Additionally, recycled gold offers economic benefits. Melting and reusing scrap gold creates local jobs in the jewelry and recycling industry. This can help strengthen the economy in certain regions and help support local communities. The quality and purity of recycled gold are also impressive. It can be just as pure and high-quality as newly mined gold because it is reprocessed through specialized processes. This ensures that jewelry made from recycled gold has the same quality and durability as those made from new gold, so consumers don't have to compromise on quality. Additionally, using recycled gold helps reduce the need for landfills. By reducing the amount of jewelry and electronics that end up as waste in landfills, it reduces the burden on these landfills and prevents heavy metals and other harmful substances from entering the environment. In summary, recycled gold offers a sustainable and ethical option for jewelry manufacturers and consumers. It helps minimize the environmental impact of the gold industry, supports local economies, and helps promote ethical jewelry. With the increasing importance of sustainability and environmental protection, recycled gold is an important choice for those who want to enjoy high-quality jewelry without harming the environment.

Precious metals

Precious metals are rare, expensive and valuable, easy to work with, resistant, they do not oxidize ; the cultural value of precious metals is even higher - from the Aztecs, who believed gold to be the excrement of the gods , to the gold rush in 19th century America, to the "treasure in Silver Lake": gold, silver and platinum have fascinated mankind for thousands of years!

You know the scene from western films or the Olympic Games: If you want to be sure that a gold coin or medal is genuine, you bite into it hard. If you can see the bite marks, then – according to legend – the coin is genuine. And indeed: precious metals are relatively soft and are therefore usually only used in alloyed form for making jewelry ...

...various metal additives such as copper, silver, palladium or zinc are added to the base material (fine gold, fine silver or fine platinum) to form an alloy. The alloy increases the hardness, changes the melting point and the color - and of course the price.


Speaking of price: precious metal prices are subject to constant fluctuations and can change within just a few minutes. The reasons for this are economic and political factors, but also country-specific events of various kinds.

Recycled gold

recycled gold

We at Feichtinger do not source our fine gold from mines, but use 100% recycled gold!

The use of recycled gold in the jewelry industry represents a responsible and resource-saving approach that also emphasizes fairness towards people and the environment. This sustainable approach has become increasingly important in recent years and reflects a growing awareness of the impact of jewelry production on our environment.

Responsible:
- Using recycled gold reduces the need for newly mined gold, helping to minimize the environmental impact of mining activities. This helps the jewelry industry establish more responsible and sustainable practices.


Resource-saving:
- Recycling gold reduces the need for new resources, which is particularly important as gold mining is often associated with environmental problems such as deforestation, water pollution and land degradation. Reusing existing gold helps reduce pressure on these delicate ecosystems.


Fair:
- Recycled gold can also contribute to fairer jewelry production. It minimizes the risk of human rights violations and unethical labor practices often associated with conventional gold mining. The focus is on promoting transparent supply chains and supporting socially responsible practices.


Minimize environmental impact:
- Gold mining has significant environmental impacts, including the release of harmful chemicals and the destruction of habitats. Recycled gold reduces these impacts by reducing the need for new mines and lessening the burden on the environment.


In summary, the use of recycled gold helps the jewellery industry become more sustainable, responsible and fair. This approach is in line with growing consumer demands for ethical products and promotes positive change across the industry.