The Alliance for Responsible Mining (ARM) and high-end Swiss watchmaker and jeweler Chopard jointly announced that six new mines in Bolivia and Colombia have received Fairmined certification.

The move comes as a result of a long-term joint strategy dubbed the Journey to Sustainable Luxury in which Chopard supports the mining organizations in reaching Fairmined certification and sources Fairmined gold from the mines.

The Fairmined Certification System, developed by ARM, helps artisanal and small-scale mining operations transform into socially and environmentally responsible entities that positively impact mining communities.

15 de Agosto is one of the new Fairmined-certified organizations, and the only one in Bolivia. Under the requirements of the Fairmined standard, miners receive training in subjects such as health and safety and mercury reduction.

In Colombia, five new micro enterprises of the Coodmilla Cooperative in La Llanada, Nariño, have also been named Fairmined-certified sites.

The newly certified miners are exporting their gold through the Fairmined-authorized refiners PX Precinox and others. There are now 10 certified Fairmined organizations in Bolivia, Colombia, Mongolia, and Peru, and more than 80 businesses worldwide have signed up to use Fairmined gold in their products.

The collaboration between ARM and Chopard is part of a larger project that ARM is implementing in Bolivia, Colombia, and Peru thanks to the support of the Inter-American Development Bank and the Multilateral Investment Fund.

For more information, reach out to Siri Teilmann-Ibsen at the Alliance for Responsible Mining at siriteilmann@responsiblemines.org.

The Cooperativa Minera Aurífera 15 de Agosto Fairmined-certified gold mine is located high in the sacred Illimani mountain overlooking the sprawling metropolis of La Paz, Bolivia.

(Photo courtesy ARM)

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