By Fernanda Durmer · Universal Deco · LoHi, Denver
Working in 100% recycled gold was never a marketing decision for me. It was just the choice that felt right. I got into this work because I care about what jewelry means to people. Using a material with a harmful supply chain didn't fit with that.
Clients ask about it more and more, so I wanted to write something that explains what it actually means in practice, not just as a value we post on our website.
What recycled gold is
Recycled gold is gold that already exists in the world. It can come from old jewelry, coins, gold bars, or other gold materials that are ready for a new life. Instead of beginning as newly mined gold, it is refined back to its pure form and transformed into something beautiful again.
One of the most remarkable things about gold is that it does not lose its quality when it is recycled. It can be melted, refined, and reused over and over without becoming weaker, less valuable, or less beautiful. Recycled gold has the same purity, durability, and heirloom quality as newly mined gold.
For me, working with 100% recycled gold is about intention. It allows us to create fine jewelry with a material that already carries history, while giving it a new story to hold. Your piece still has the strength, beauty, and permanence of solid gold, but with a deeper sense of care, transformation, and meaning.
What it means for the work we do
Every custom piece we make at Universal Deco uses 100% recycled gold. Every repair that requires new metal uses recycled gold. The engagement ring, the heirloom restoration, the piece you commission for a milestone. All of it.
There's something that feels right about that, especially for custom work. A lot of what I do is help people create something new from something that already carries meaning. Recycled gold is the same idea in material form. It already existed. It already mattered to someone. We're giving it a new life.
For clients who bring in inherited jewelry for redesign, we can sometimes incorporate the original metal directly into the new piece. The gold your grandmother wore becomes the gold you wear. That's not just a sustainable choice. It's part of the story.
Sustainable fine jewelry in Denver
Universal Deco is a fine jewelry studio in LoHi, Denver. We do custom commissions, repairs and restorations, and carry work from independent designers we believe in. Recycled gold is one part of how we operate. Not a certification we post to check a box. Just how we work.
If you want to talk about a custom piece or bring something in for repair, you can schedule a consultation online or stop by the studio at 1600 Boulder Street, Wednesday through Saturday from 12 to 7pm.
