| The Consumer Face of No Dirty Gold The hunt started soon after their engagement. Andrew and Johanna Heyduk were looking for the perfect wedding bands, rings that hadn't contributed to hurting communities or the environment.
"It was a symbol of our bond," Andrew Heyduk said. "We wanted it to be as untainted as possible."
But the Heyduks soon discovered their perfect rings didn't exist.
Andrew and Johanna Heyduk signing the No Dirty Gold campaign pledge.
Credit: EARTHWORKS | Gold mining around the world often comes with serious problems, among them polluted waterways, human rights violations, and the displacement of indigenous communities. And although some major retailers such as Tiffany and Co., Zale Corp., and Helzberg Diamonds have called for the mining industry to produce gold in more socially and environmentally responsible ways, mining companies have yet to make concrete commitments to clean up their industry.
So, for now, couples like the Heyduks search for the best available alternative. Johanna Heyduk said they went from jeweler to jeweler in New York City asking if they offered responsibly produced rings. But none of the jewelers had heard of such a thing.
Undeterred, the Heyduks took their search online and found a website that sold recycled platinum bands. They thought about how recycling metals like gold and platinum was a good way of reducing the impact of mining on communities and the environment.
"That sealed the deal for us," Andrew Heyduk said.
It was important that they put their beliefs into practice, the couple said. The Heyduks, who met while working at a humanitarian aid agency, both learned about gold mining and negative impacts while they were in college -- Andrew at Miami University in Ohio and Johanna at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia.
Married since October, the Heyduks said that their decision to make an ethical purchase fit into the rest of their lifestyle. Avid recyclers, they try to think of where their purchases came from, and which companies they're supporting.
"A great thing to keep in mind is that every purchase you make is empowering a company of one sort or another," Johanna Heyduk said.
After the New York Times interviewed them about ethical shopping this April, the Heyduks learned about the No Dirty Gold campaign, and agreed to sign the No Dirty Gold campaign pledge, which calls on jewelers and the mining industry to provide a cleaner alternative.
They believe regular people can move whole industries through the power of their pocketbooks.
"The good thing about capitalism is that it does empower consumers," said Andrew Heyduk. "A group of consumers who share an awareness can have a big impact."
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