Why using SMO Gold is not as disruptive as you might think

SMO GOLD FACTS

SWITCHING TO SMO GOLD: WHY IT IS NOT AS DISRUPTIVE AS YOU MIGHT THINK

For many jewellers, the biggest objection to switching to SMO is not philosophical. It is practical.

They may like the idea of traceable, mine-of-origin gold. They may see the reputational value. They may even feel that the market is clearly moving in that direction. But when the conversation turns from principle to implementation, the same concern often appears:

This sounds like a lot of upheaval.

Will it mean changing caster? Changing manufacturer? Reworking processes? Starting difficult conversations with long-standing suppliers? Creating new complexity in a business that is already busy enough?

Those are fair questions. Jewellery businesses are rarely short of moving parts, and even positive change can feel risky when it touches sourcing, production and delivery. But this is also where perception often outruns reality.

Because switching to SMO does not have to mean tearing everything up and starting again. In many cases, it is far more practical, gradual and manageable than jewellers assume.

Do you have to change your whole supply chain to start using SMO?

No. This is probably the most damaging misconception of the lot, because it stops brands before they have even explored the options.

Many jewellers assume that using SMO means an immediate, full-scale supply-chain overhaul. Every supplier must change, every component must be rethought, every production relationship must be revisited. Faced with that picture, it is hardly surprising that people hesitate.

But that is not how most good sourcing change actually happens.

In practice, many brands begin in a much more measured way. They start with one collection, one core product category, one key supplier or one manufacturing stream. They prove the concept internally, test the commercial response and then build from there.

That does not make the move less meaningful. It makes it realistic.

SMO should be understood as a route into better sourcing, not as an all-or-nothing test of commitment. The aim is progress with credibility, not disruption for its own sake.

What if you want to keep working with your current caster or manufacturer?

That is often the first practical concern, especially for smaller brands.

Jewellers may have trusted relationships with their current manufacturing partners and quite reasonably not want to throw those away lightly. In some cases, there may also be concerns around moulds, continuity, established workflows or simply the effort involved in changing something that already works.

Again, this is where the fear of disruption can become larger than the reality.

The first question is not “who do we need to leave?” It is, “can our current partner work with SMO?” In most cases, the answer will be yes. Existing manufacturers and casters can usually work with SMO gold without having to reinvent their whole operation, particularly where they are already used to batch-based production and clear material handling.

And if some support is needed, that is exactly what SMO is there to help with. The aim is to make switching straightforward, not difficult. Whether that means working with an existing supplier, introducing a new manufacturing partner already using SMO gold, or accessing smaller-scale supply routes through Betts or other established partners.

The point is not to create unnecessary upheaval. It is to make a better sourcing option workable in the real world.

Does switching to SMO create operational complexity?

Less than many people fear. There is a tendency in the trade to hear words like “traceability”, “segregation” or “mine provenance” and imagine layers of administration, disruption and endless back-and-forth across the supply chain.

But for jewellers, much of that concern sits one step removed from the actual decision.

The practical question is not whether traceable gold involves structure. Of course it does. The practical question is whether that structure can be integrated into the way jewellery is already made and supplied. In most cases, it can.

SMO’s explicit aim is to make that as easy as possible. Supply is designed to be practical, responsive and globally workable. Pricing is commercially competitive. And, importantly, SMO is not an audit body. We do not impose membership fees, certification requirements, inspection rights or scheme-style audit burdens on jewellers and manufacturers. Our role is simpler: to guarantee the provenance of the metal up to the point of delivery to the jeweller or their manufacturing partner.

That is important because it keeps the focus where it should be: on making better sourcing workable in practice. The aim is not to let the perfect become the enemy of the good. It is to make a stronger provenance story possible without unnecessary friction.

What if you are not ready to switch everything at once?

That is entirely normal. In fact, it is probably the most commercially sensible starting point for many businesses.

A brand may want to begin with one hero line, one wedding category, one set of rings or one collection where provenance adds immediate value. That allows it to test not only the operational side, but also the customer response, the storytelling potential and the internal confidence that comes with having something more concrete to say about its gold.

That is often how meaningful adoption begins. For many jewellers, the right approach is not total transformation on day one, but practical progress in the right direction.

The important thing is not whether the entire business moves at once. It is whether there is a credible and practical route to begin. Once that route exists, momentum usually becomes easier to build.

This is particularly important for jewellers who worry that partial adoption somehow creates inconsistency. It does not, provided the claims are made clearly and honestly. A brand can improve one part of its sourcing story without pretending everything has changed overnight.

That is not compromise. It is sensible implementation.

Why does switching feel more disruptive than it really is?

Because sourcing decisions carry emotional weight as well as operational weight.

For many jewellers, their current way of working is tied up with trust, history and long-standing relationships. Even when a better sourcing route is available, moving towards it can feel like opening a difficult door. It raises questions about suppliers, standards and whether the brand is ready to say something more specific than it has said before.

That can make the shift feel bigger than it is.

But the real barrier is often not complexity. It is inertia. Once jewellers understand that they do not need to switch everything immediately, abandon every relationship, or solve every supply-chain question on day one, the whole decision becomes much more manageable. It moves from “major upheaval” to “sensible next step”.

And that is a much more useful frame.

Is switching to SMO really as disruptive as people think?

Usually not. It requires intention, yes. It may require conversations, yes. It may involve some gradual change, yes. But that is very different from saying it is unworkable.

For many jewellers, the disruption is far less dramatic than the risk of doing nothing: staying with vague sourcing claims, weaker provenance and less confidence in what their gold says about the brand.

That is the real comparison.

Because in the end, switching to SMO is not about making life harder. It is about making a stronger sourcing story possible: with practical supply, competitive pricing and a model designed to make adoption easier rather than harder.

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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