Register to get free articles
Want unlimited access? View Plans
Already have an account? Sign in
Actress and environmental activist Nathalie Kelley has designed a bespoke jewellery piece for Pure Earth’s 2025 Pure Gold Auction, created to raise awareness of mercury-free gold mining and responsible sourcing.
The necklace, made from 18-carat Fairmined gold, was produced in collaboration with Peruvian jewellery designer Andrea José. The gold was sourced from AMATAF, a women-led network of artisanal miners in Madre de Dios, Peru, who have worked with Pure Earth to eliminate mercury use in mining.
Kelley, who is of Quechua descent, joined Pure Earth’s leadership council earlier this year and has campaigned to protect the Peruvian Amazon and its indigenous communities.
The necklace features a jaguar pendant symbolising the “resilience of the Amazon”, with an Umba sapphire and two recycled yellow sapphires representing the colours of the rainforest at sunrise.
Kelley said the design aimed to highlight the potential for ethical gold mining practices. Mercury, identified by the World Health Organisation as one of the top 10 chemicals of major public health concern, is widely used in artisanal and small-scale gold mining, which accounts for up to 15% of global gold production.
Pure Earth, a non-profit organisation based in New York, has worked for more than a decade to support mercury-free mining, build sustainable supply chains and reforest land affected by gold extraction. In Madre de Dios, the charity and its partners have planted more than 10,000 native trees across 10 hectares.
The 2025 Pure Gold Auction will feature pieces donated by more than 20 international jewellery designers, with proceeds supporting Pure Earth’s global pollution clean-up projects and its work with small-scale miners.
She said: “As someone with Peruvian and Quechua roots, this work is close to my heart. I’m proud to use my voice to support Pure Earth, an organisation that honours local leadership and offers real, tangible solutions to prevent mercury pollution. Gold doesn’t have to come at the expense of poisoned rivers and lost forests. By supporting miners using mercury-free methods, we can transform the industry.”
