When you buy gold, one question matters more than ever: where does it come from?
That’s exactly why we now offer Single Mine Origin (SMO) Gold at Fairever. SMO Gold is fully traceable to a specific mine, kept segregated through the supply chain, and externally audited from mine to refinery and onward. For us, that makes it a very meaningful addition to our portfolio: it gives both jewelry makers and private investors access to gold with a clear, documented origin.
The most important points at a glance
- SMO Gold comes from one clearly defined mine. Its origin is documented, the material is kept segregated, and the chain of custody is externally audited.
- SMO Gold is relevant for jewelry makers and investors alike. It is available as semi-finished jewelry bullion and as investment gold bars and coins.
- It offers traceability at scale. That makes it especially interesting for brands and workshops that need reliable supply, but also for private customers who want more than anonymous bullion.
- For us, SMO complements rather than replaces Fairtrade and Fairmined Gold. It adds another stable sourcing option with a different profile and a different use case.
- What matters most is proof. In a market full of vague sourcing claims, SMO gives buyers something concrete: traceable origin, external audits and identifiable mine membership.
What is Single Mine Origin Gold?
Single Mine Origin Gold is gold that can be traced back to one specific mine. Instead of being mixed into an anonymous bulk stream, the material stays segregated and documented throughout the supply chain. Every batch is tracked and externally audited from the member mine through refining and onward delivery.
That is the central difference.
In the conventional gold market, gold usually loses its identity very early. Once refined, it becomes almost impossible for end customers to know where it originally came from. SMO takes a different route: it preserves origin as part of the product itself.
For us, that is highly relevant, because provenance should not disappear the moment gold enters the supply chain.
Why we think SMO Gold is important
We have always believed that the gold market needs more transparency, not less.
At the same time, different customers are looking for different things. Some want the direct social impact model of Fairtrade or Fairmined Gold. Others are looking for a traceable gold option that works at larger scale, is available in familiar product forms, and comes with a documented origin story they can communicate clearly.
That is why SMO Gold matters to us.
It gives us a way to offer:
- traceable large-scale mined gold,
- a clear chain of custody,
- and a credible additional option for customers who want more proof than the conventional gold market usually provides.
In other words: SMO helps us broaden our offering without lowering our standards.
What SMO Gold offers jewelry makers
For jewelry makers, provenance is becoming a more important part of the conversation with customers. More and more people want to know not just the alloy, the color and the craftsmanship, but also the story behind the metal.
SMO Gold can help with exactly that.
SMO offers gold for makers in forms such as grain, sheet and wire, making it relevant for workshops, designers and jewelry brands that want traceable material in production-ready formats. (singlemineorigin.com)
That makes SMO interesting for jewelry makers who want:
- a gold story they can explain clearly,
- a traceable source that is externally audited,
- and a supply option that is easier to integrate into standard production processes than many buyers might expect.
For brands in particular, this can be valuable. Being able to say this gold comes from a specific mine is much more meaningful than making broad, vague claims about “responsible sourcing” without evidence.
What SMO Gold offers private investors
For private investors, SMO Gold adds something that normal bullion usually does not: documented origin.
According to SMO, its investment products are 99.99% pure, 24-carat gold, and available in sizes from 1 gram to 1 kilogram. That makes them relevant both for smaller gift purchases and for larger investment allocations.
For many private customers, that changes the decision-making process.
The question is no longer just:
- How much does it weigh?
- What is the premium?
- How liquid is it?
It also becomes:
- Where did this gold come from?
- Can I trace it?
- Is there a documented origin story behind what I am buying?
We think those are good questions. And SMO Gold gives much better answers to them than anonymous standard bullion.
Which mines are currently part of SMO?
Member mines of SMO include Bellevue Mine in Western Australia and Sabodala-Massawa in Senegal.
Bellevue is the world’s first net zero gold mine for Scope 1 and 2 emissions, whereas Sabodala-Massawa has a large focus on community investment and biodiversity work.
We think that kind of mine-level transparency matters.
Not because mining becomes perfect. It does not. But because a documented, identifiable and externally audited source is a major step forward compared with a system in which the origin of gold is often invisible.
Why SMO Gold is a good fit for our portfolio
We do not see SMO as a replacement for Fairtrade or Fairmined Gold.
We see it as a strong complement.
That matters because responsible sourcing is not one single model. Customers have different priorities:
- some prioritize direct impact in artisanal and small-scale mining communities,
- some prioritize strict single-mine traceability,
- some want investment bars with a documented origin,
- and some need semi-finished products for jewelry manufacturing with a clear sourcing story.
SMO helps us serve those needs better.
It expands what we can offer while staying true to something that matters deeply to us: gold should come with transparency, not anonymity.
Why traceability matters more than ever
The gold and jewelry sector still struggles with a lack of transparency. Human Rights Watch has documented serious human rights risks in jewelry supply chains, and WWF has also called for much stronger traceability and responsibility in the watch and jewelry sector.
That does not mean every gold product is problematic. But it does mean that vague claims are not enough.
For us, the direction is clear: the market needs more traceable, documented and verifiable sourcing options. SMO is one of them.
What you can buy from us
We now offer SMO Gold for two main groups:
For jewelry makers
SMO Gold is available in semi-finished forms suitable for jewelry production, including products such as grain, sheet and wire.
For private customers and investors
SMO investment products include bars and coins in sizes from 1 gram to 1 kilogram.
That makes SMO Gold relevant whether you are creating jewelry, building a collection, buying a meaningful gift or investing in physical gold.
What we want you to take away
We offer Single Mine Origin Gold because we believe gold should not lose its story.
For jewelry makers, SMO offers traceable gold in usable production formats. For private customers and investors, it offers bullion with a documented origin. And for us, it is an important addition because it makes our portfolio stronger, broader and more transparent.
In a market where gold is too often anonymous, SMO makes origin visible again.
And that is exactly why we are happy to offer it.
