The simple answer is yes. Sustainable silver jewellery is very much at the forefront of the industry, with the amount of recycled silver being used in the creation of new pieces increasing all the time. It can be recycled over and over to create new pieces, without ever losing any of its quality. Extracting the metal ore from the ground uses huge amounts of energy and the smelting process releases vast quantities of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Using recycled silver skips this entire process, saving 95% more energy compared to using the raw material.

It isn't just the damage to the atmosphere that mining for precious metals causes. Metal mines require large areas of land, often running into thousands of acres, to operate. Mine operators have destroyed vast areas of the rainforests in search of precious metals, leading to a devastating loss of habitat for plants and wildlife and poisoning the local ecosystem. Recycling silver reduces mining waste by 97% according to Green Matters, meaning sustainable silver jewellery isn't just something that can be done, it must be done.

Did you know recycled silver can come from many forms, not just unwanted jewellery? Silver is one of the most versatile metals used today, meaning it has far more uses than simply making beautiful jewellery. It is the best thermal and electrical conductor, is extremely malleable and is antibacterial and antimicrobial, meaning it's incredibly useful in industrial, technological and medical equipment. Silver can be extracted from all kinds of day to day products you may have in your home, from coins, cameras, kitchenware and even photographs. With all the old tech waiting to be recycled, there's never been a better time to create sustainable silver jewellery.

Did you know you can recycle silver you may have at home and even make a little money from it, while helping to contribute to the reduction of harmful mining? Search for your local silver dealer, who will often melt and re-use your silver items. Some jewellery shops will buy your old silver pieces, melt them and create new pieces to sell. Which ever way you choose, be happy knowing you're helping to reduce the damaging effects of mining and making sustainable silver jewellery the way forward.

At My Charming Me, we're working hard alongside our manufacturers to increase the amount of recycled sterling silver we use in all our jewellery, reducing the amount of the mined metal year on year.