Jewellery & watches
Gold and gemstones often come from small, informal mines, where miners, children among them, dig by hand and use mercury to separate the gold.
20 million
people work in small-scale gold mining in more than 80 countries, more than 4 million of them women and children
44 million
or more people work as artisanal and small-scale miners, in 80 countries
2,000 tonnes
of mercury a year is released by small-scale gold mining, the largest source made by people
How the 146 brands we've graded split
The industry at a glance
China, Russia and Australia mined the most gold in 2024, but no country produced more than about 12% of the world's total. (US Geological Survey, 2026: Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Gold (opens in a new tab))
Gold from many mines is melted together at refiners, and recycled gold is mixed in, so a ring's gold can rarely be traced unless the jeweller sets out to. Diamonds and coloured gems pass through traders, cutters and polishers before they reach a jeweller.
Labour Lens grades jewellery on the workshops that make it, and checks whether its stones and gold are traced to the mine, lab-grown, recycled or Fairmined. The Kimberley Process alone isn't enough.
On the record
- Small-scale gold mining supplies about 20% of the world's gold, more than 500 tonnes a year. (UN Environment Programme, 2019: $180 million investment to tackle hidden cost of gold (opens in a new tab))
- About 4.5 million women work in small-scale gold mining. (UN Environment Programme, 2019: $180 million investment to tackle hidden cost of gold (opens in a new tab))
- In 2009, Human Rights Watch documented killings, forced labour and child labour by Zimbabwe's military in the Marange diamond fields. The Kimberley Process didn't suspend Zimbabwe, and Human Rights Watch urged it to widen its definition of conflict diamonds. (Human Rights Watch, 2009: Kimberley Process: Zimbabwe action mars credibility (opens in a new tab))
- The US Department of Labor lists 11 resources in this industry from 37 countries as made with child or forced labour. See the list
Along the supply chain
Industrial mines, and small artisanal mines in Africa, South America and Asia
What happens here
Artisanal miners dig by hand in pits and tunnels that collapse, and many use mercury to separate gold, which poisons them and their families.
What we check
Whether its stones and gold are traced to the mine, lab-grown, recycled or Fairmined.
Local buyers, exporters and gold refiners
What happens here
Gold from many mines is melted together at refiners, and gems change hands many times, which hides where they came from.
What we check
Whether it buys through a chain of custody that keeps track of the mine.
Diamond and gem workshops
What happens here
Stones are cut and polished in workshops ranging from large factories to small family units, many of which are never audited.
What we check
Whether it names the workshops that cut its stones and has them checked.
Jewellery workshops in India, China, Thailand and Italy
What happens here
Pay and conditions in the workshops that make the jewellery depend on the country. Legal wages in India, China and Thailand are below a living wage.
What we check
Whether it names its workshops, has them independently audited and shows a living wage.
Brands, jewellers and watchmakers
What happens here
The jeweller chooses where to buy stones and metal and whether to pay more for traced or recycled materials.
What we check
Responsible Jewellery Council certification counts for a little. Its basic certification doesn't trace materials.
The extra check for Good
Conflict-free: diamonds, gems and gold traced to the mine, lab-grown, recycled or Fairmined (the Kimberley Process alone isn't enough).
Missing it holds a brand at On Track at best, and taking no steps at all means Lacks transparency.
Resources on the US Department of Labor's list
The list names resources and the countries where the Department found child labour or forced labour in producing them. It covers whole countries, not companies.
11 resources shown
| Resource | Child labour | Forced labour |
|---|---|---|
| Gold | Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Colombia, DR Congo, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Indonesia, Kenya, Mali, Mongolia, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Peru, Philippines, Senegal, Sudan, Suriname, Tanzania, Uganda, Venezuela, Zimbabwe | Burkina Faso, Chad, DR Congo, North Korea, Peru, Venezuela |
| Diamonds | Angola, Central African Republic, DR Congo, Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone | Angola, Sierra Leone |
| Gems | India, Zambia | Not listed |
| Glass Bangles | India, Pakistan | Not listed |
| Jade | Myanmar | Myanmar |
| Rubies | Myanmar | Myanmar |
| Amber | Ukraine | Not listed |
| Emeralds | Colombia | Not listed |
| Sapphires | Madagascar | Not listed |
| Silver | Bolivia | Not listed |
| Tanzanite (gems) | Tanzania | Not listed |
What earns each grade
Good
0 of 146 brands
- Uses lab-grown stones and recycled metals, or traces its stones and gold to the mine
- Makes its jewellery in its own workshops in countries such as Australia or Italy, and shows where its parts are made
- Or names its workshops, has them independently audited and shows a living wage
On Track
30 of 146 brands
- Makes its jewellery in Australia or Europe, but its stones and gold aren't traced
- Responsible Jewellery Council certified, with audited suppliers and a public living wage plan
For example Chopard, Sarah & Sebastian, Audemars Piguet · See all 30
- Relies on gold and gemstones it takes no steps to trace, which alone means Lacks transparency
- Responsible Jewellery Council certification as its only evidence
- Doesn't say where its jewellery is made, so it's graded on conditions in India and China
For example A. Lange & Söhne, Junghans, NOMOS Glashütte · See all 115
- Forced or child labour found in its supply chain, in the last five years, that it hasn't put right
For example Montblanc
Signs of a fair supply chain
- Lab-grown diamonds and gems
- Recycled or Fairmined gold
- Stones traced to a named mine
- A list of the workshops that make its jewellery
Warning signs
- "Conflict-free" resting on the Kimberley Process alone
- Responsible Jewellery Council membership as the only evidence
- Gold or gems with no stated origin
Try the rules
Pick an example or tick what a company can show, and see the grade the rules would give it.
The grade it would get
Grade: Lacks transparency
This company makes its products in India, where unions are heavily restricted, and is certified by the Responsible Jewellery Council. Workers in India are very unlikely to earn a living wage, and it has no full independent audit.
Good requirements 1 of 6
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certification
- Not met: Respects worker rights
- Not met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standards
- Met: No child or forced labour findings or links
- Not met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that list
- Not met: Conflict-free: diamonds, gems and gold traced to the mine, lab-grown, recycled or Fairmined (the Kimberley Process alone isn't enough)
Red flags 2
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Made mostly in countries with poor worker rights, without a full independent audit of its supply chain
A made-up company, graded by the same rules as every brand on Labour Lens. What Lacks transparency means
The full rules are on the Grading page, with the finer points on Resources.
The brands we've graded
Where they make things
125 of the 146 brands say where they make their products. The countries they name most:
| Country | Brands | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Switzerland | 47 | Regular violations | About a living wage | Low |
| China | 37 | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| India | 27 | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| Thailand | 26 | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Italy | 25 | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| Australia | 11 | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
| Japan | 8 | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| United States | 8 | Systematic violations | Below a living wage | Low |
No jewellery & watches brand is Good yet
The brands list shows the best available in each type.
Questions and answers
7 questions
Are lab-grown diamonds more ethical?
They avoid mining, which is where the worst abuses in the diamond trade happen. They're still cut, polished and set by people whose pay and conditions matter.
On Labour Lens, lab-grown stones with recycled metal pass the jewellery materials check for Good.
What does "conflict-free" mean?
Usually that the diamonds came through the Kimberley Process, which covers only diamonds that fund rebel movements against governments. It doesn't cover abuses by governments or armies, or forced and child labour.
In 2009, Human Rights Watch (opens in a new tab) documented killings and forced labour by Zimbabwe's military in the Marange diamond fields, and the Kimberley Process didn't suspend Zimbabwe. On Labour Lens, the Kimberley Process alone isn't enough.
Is recycled gold ethical?
It avoids new mining, so it counts towards the jewellery check. On its own it doesn't pass, because the stones still need to be traced or lab-grown. Recycled gold with lab-grown stones passes.
What is Fairmined gold?
Gold from certified artisanal and small-scale mining groups that meet standards on safety, child labour and mercury use, and are paid a premium. It counts towards the jewellery check, and passes it together with lab-grown stones.
Is Responsible Jewellery Council certification enough?
Not for Good. It's an industry code covering human rights and responsible sourcing, and its basic certification doesn't trace materials. On Labour Lens it counts as working towards the jewellery check, so a brand relying on it is On Track at best. Its separate Chain of Custody standard does trace materials.
Why is mercury a labour issue?
Small-scale miners mix mercury with crushed ore to bind the gold, then burn it off, breathing the fumes. UNEP (opens in a new tab) puts small-scale gold mining's mercury at about 2,000 tonnes a year, more than any other source made by people.
Are watches graded as jewellery?
Yes. Watches are graded with jewellery, on where they're made and the evidence behind them. To be Good on the country alone, a Swiss or Japanese brand needs to show where its movements, cases and dials are made, not just where the watch is put together.
Sources
- Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Gold (opens in a new tab) US Geological Survey, 2026
- UN environment agency tackles mercury-tarnished gold mining industry (opens in a new tab) UN News, 2023
- Better working conditions can improve safety and productivity of artisanal and small-scale miners around the world (opens in a new tab) World Bank, 2021
- $180 million investment to tackle hidden cost of gold (opens in a new tab) UN Environment Programme, 2019
- Kimberley Process: Zimbabwe action mars credibility (opens in a new tab) Human Rights Watch, 2009
- List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor (opens in a new tab) US Department of Labor, Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB), 2024
Figures are as each source published them. The grades and brand counts are Labour Lens's own, from the brands we've researched.
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