I'm not big enough" is the most common thing jewellers say about SMO

SMO Gold Myths

"I'M NOT BIG ENOUGH" IS THE MOST COMMON THING JEWELLERS SAY

For many independent jewellers and smaller brands, the assumption arrives almost immediately: SMO sounds excellent, but it is probably only for the bigger players.

That reaction is understandable. When people see names such as Boodles, Messika or other established brands associated with mine-of-origin gold, it is easy to conclude that SMO sits in a rarefied space. Something for larger businesses with bigger budgets, larger volumes and dedicated sustainability teams.

But that is a misconception, and quite an important one.

Because one of the most persistent myths around traceable gold is that it is somehow reserved for the few: the large, the well-resourced or the unusually well-connected. In reality, SMO is not valuable because it is exclusive. It is valuable because it makes a better sourcing story more accessible than many jewellers assume.

The question is not whether a brand is "big enough" for SMO.

The real question is whether it wants access to traceable, mine-of-origin gold in a way that works for the size and stage of the business.

Do you need to be a large jewellery brand to work with SMO?

No. SMO is not a private club for major houses. It is a sourcing model built around traceability, provenance and practical access to known-origin gold. Larger brands may use it at greater volume, but smaller jewellers are not excluded from it.

This is often where the perception gap is widest. Smaller brands assume that because they are not placing large recurring orders, or because they do not have a large operations team behind them, responsible gold must be operationally out of reach. In reality, it usually is not.

The key question is not whether a jeweller starts big, but whether there is a workable route in, and there usually is. Some brands may start by buying smaller quantities through The Betts Group. Others may work through manufacturers already offering SMO gold, including partners such as Design Build Cast, Weston Beamor, Curteis, Charles Green and others already producing with known-provenance metal. Others may begin with one collection, one product category or one specific project rather than attempting an immediate full-scale shift.

This is important because it makes responsible sourcing far more accessible than many jewellers assume. Through Betts, for example, brands can access SMO rings, sheet, wire and casting grain without any minimum order quantity. In that sense, SMO is not narrowing responsible sourcing to a select few; it is helping to democratise it.

Do you have to switch everything at once?

Again, no. This is another assumption that stops people before they begin. Many jewellers worry that if they cannot convert every supplier, every product line and every component straight away, then there is little point in doing anything.

That is the wrong way to think about it.

Most sensible sourcing change happens incrementally. A brand might begin with rings, a small collection or a core collection. It might start with cast product before looking at findings, chains or other elements. It might test customer response first, and then expand as confidence grows.

None of that makes the step less valid.

In fact, gradual adoption is often the most commercially realistic approach. It allows jewellers to improve their sourcing story without creating unnecessary disruption, and it prevents the perfect from becoming the enemy of the good.

SMO should not be seen as an all-or-nothing decision. It is a route to progress, not a purity test.

What if you do not have ESG expertise in-house?

That concern is common, especially among independent brands.

Many jewellers know they want to make better sourcing decisions, but hesitate because they feel they are not qualified to judge what is genuinely credible and what is simply polished marketing. They worry about saying the wrong thing, buying into the wrong scheme, or making claims they cannot defend.

That hesitation is understandable. The jewellery industry is full of broad sourcing language, conflicting standards and vague sustainability narratives.

But this is exactly why provenance matters.

SMO gives jewellers something more concrete to work with: known mine origin, product storytelling, QR-linked information and access to meaningful, objective, mine-level ESG data through the SMO ESG Benchmark. That is what makes it the opposite of greenwashing. It gives brands a stronger factual basis for what they say, rather than forcing them to rely on bland, generic claims.

In other words, you do not need to become an ESG consultant to make a better decision. You need access to a sourcing model that gives you real information and a credible basis for trust.

What if you want to keep working with your current team?

This is another area where smaller jewellers often assume the answer will be awkward.

They may have long-standing relationships with their caster, workshop or manufacturer. They may worry that switching to SMO means severing those relationships, changing established processes or creating unnecessary tension in the supply chain.

Sometimes a change of partner may be the right answer. But not always.

In many cases, the first step is simply a conversation. Can the existing manufacturer work with SMO gold? Can they be supported to do so? Can the brand be introduced to a manufacturing partner already working with SMO if needed? Are there practical ways to start without dismantling what already works?

Those are real pathways, and they matter. Because for many jewellers, the obstacle is not lack of interest. It is the assumption that better provenance must automatically mean greater disruption. In practice, SMO’s aim is to make responsible sourcing easier to access, not harder.

Why does this myth persist?

Partly because the jewellery trade has long been shaped by habit and hierarchy.

Smaller brands are used to assuming that better access, better provenance and better supply-chain options are reserved for those with scale. And in some parts of the market, that has often been true.

But that is precisely why this myth matters.

If jewellers continue to assume that traceable, mine-of-origin gold is only for larger brands, they shut themselves out of an opportunity before they have even explored it. They stay with weaker sourcing stories, thinner proof and less differentiation, simply because they assume the alternative is out of reach.

That is a commercial mistake. Because smaller brands can often benefit from provenance even more sharply than larger ones. When you are building trust, defining your identity and trying to stand out in a crowded market, the ability to say something clear and credible about your gold can matter enormously. That is exactly why making SMO accessible matters: better sourcing should not be reserved for the biggest names.

Is SMO only for the big names?

No, and that is exactly the point. SMO may work brilliantly for larger brands, but it is not defined by them. Its value lies in helping jewellers of different sizes access traceable, mine-of-origin gold in ways that fit their business.

Some will start small. Some will begin through Betts. Some will work through existing manufacturing partners already using SMO gold. Some will move faster than others.

All of that is fine.

The important thing is not whether a brand is already big enough.

It is whether it is ready to stop assuming it is too small.

Written by

CHARLIE BETTS

Co-Founder & Managing Director, SMO Gold

Charlie Betts is Co-Founder and Managing Director of SMO Gold, and the ninth consecutive generation of the Betts family to lead Betts Group, a business focused on refining precious metals and manufacturing jewellery and investment products. He has seen first-hand the surge in consumer engagement with responsible sourcing, and understands the challenges jewellers face in acquiring gold with detailed provenance, reliably and at scale.

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