Seeing Is Believing

Inside the net-zero gold mine

Bellevue Gold Project, Western Australia, the world's first net zero (Scope 1 and Scope 2) emission gold mine, welcomes international jewellery experts for a due diligence visit.

This March, jewellery historian, author and broadcaster Joanna Hardy and innovative fine jeweller Dwyer Kilcollin of Spinelli Kilcollin journeyed to SMO Member Mine Bellevue in Western Australia.

An expert eye on the ground

Accompanied by Charlie Betts, managing director of SMO Gold, the visitors were treated to a thorough on-site inspection of the site, to see for themselves how the pioneering SMO initiative works to produce some of the highest-grade gold in Australia whilst remaining committed to fully traceable and sustainable operations. Having previously visited SMO's mining partner in Senegal, Hardy, an esteemed jewellery expert with over four decades of experience, undertook the trip to assess Bellevue's gold for her own upcoming projects and to observe first-hand how the pioneering initiative works. Kilcollin, meanwhile, joined the venture because her brand has committed to using only net-zero, SMO gold from Bellevue within the next 18 months, and believes it is vital to understand where and how the gold used in her contemporary pieces is obtained.

What mining responsible gold looks like

"Gold will always be in demand and therefore will always be mined, but recovering it responsibly is crucial and necessary for the environment and for the transparency of the supply chain," observed Joanna Hardy. "That challenge has been embraced by SMO and I was very impressed and encouraged by the commitment shown to continue to improve ESG standards. Mining will never stop but with SMO's ethos it is showing there can be a way forward in showing what mining 'good' gold looks like."

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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