Eco Gold

Lia Terni began designing jewelry in Madrid eight years ago. Architecture and art inspire her. Her metal pieces are organic, weightless and light. All are handmade with passion and are the result of many hours of a creative process to offer her customers the most detailed and unique product. Lia Terni is taking her experience with jewelry a step further as she becomes the first designer in Spain to work with ECO GOLD.

"I'm excited to work with ECO GOLD. I think small actions can bring about big changes. With responsible mining, we can help to protect our environment and collaborate with artisan miners," says the designer.

According to Lia Terni, "Many people do not realize that the extraction of gold is not only a devastating thing to nature, but to man himself. This is why I want to place my little grain in helping to make a change while helping the consumer to become more conscious… Both artisan and small mining are present in over 55 countries, mostly in Africa, Asia and South America. At least 100 million people depend on this to substitute working in subhuman conditions, becoming trapped in a vicious cycle of exploitation. Most do not even fall into the legal system. They are neither registered workers nor protected in any way.

These miners extract 20% of the world's production of gold, but only constitute 90% of the work force. Lack of security, child labor and violence towards women are all huge injustices that occur in this industry. Furthermore, the price of gold has sky rocketed (from 195 Euros per ounce in 2001 to 1,500 Euros per ounce presently), leading a great exodus towards the mining zones.

The impact on our environment is brutal. Deforestation, destruction of rivers and extraction of mercury and cyanide are only a few of the effects.

The mines in which ECO GOLD is extracted agree to respect the environment, to recognize women's rights, and they do not allow child labor. By abiding by these standards, the miners receive 15% more than the official market value, which they then use in social projects to assist their communities.

Lia Terni is very much aware of the importance of the role of jewelry in responsible mining. Because of this, she creates each of her delicate pieces with ECO GOLD, which is extracted without neither mercury or cyanide from mines of Chocó, a jungle in Colombia. In conclusion, "Being conscious of what we purchase, making a difference and understanding that luxury may be sustainable are my objectives when using ECO GOLD" says the designer.