Gold may glitter, but the path it takes from the earth to your jewelry box often comes at a terrible cost. The World Gold Council’s latest report, Silence is Golden, exposes the murky underworld of artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM)—a sector that provides income to over 15 million people across 80 countries, yet remains dangerously under-regulated and exploited.
Shockingly, up to 80% of ASGM occurs in the shadow economy, where criminal networks, corrupt officials, and even terrorist groups siphon billions from vulnerable mining communities. The report reveals that the Wagner Group, a Russian paramilitary force, has allegedly earned more than $2.5 billion from illicit gold mining since the invasion of Ukraine—fuelling conflict and instability across Africa and beyond.
But the exploitation doesn’t stop at financial theft. ASGM is rife with human rights abuses: child labor, mercury poisoning, forced labor, and sexual violence are widespread. Children as young as nine work in hazardous conditions, exposed to mercury and cyanide with little protection or oversight. In countries like Ghana, Peru, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, artisanal miners risk—and often lose—their lives daily, caught between poverty and predatory forces.
Despite existing international laws and conventions, enforcement is dismal. The report calls for urgent action: better international cooperation, judicial crackdowns on illicit trade, support for responsible ASGM, and greater transparency in gold supply chains. It also urges central banks and refineries to commit to ethical sourcing standards, like those in the London Principles.
Ultimately, “Silence is Golden” is a wake-up call. It urges consumers, governments, and the gold industry to shine a light on injustice and ensure that gold’s value never again comes at the cost of human suffering.
This is one of the many good reasons why I am working with gold by Fairtrade and Fairmined, who are ensuring fair wages and safe working conditions for miners. I believe it is an easy choice to make for a piece of jewelry that we want to wear as a symbol of beauty, love and connection. This way it does shines from the outsideand inside, and we have a great story to tell about it. But most of all, with our choice we made a huge difference for our gold miners lifes.
Find the full report here:
https://www.gold.org/esg/artisanal-and-small-scale-gold-mining