What is Small Craft Gold?

Small Craft gold is traceable artisanal gold from small-scale mines that are accredited by Swiss Better Gold or certified by Fairtrade or Fairmined. The Swiss refiner Argor-Heraeus launched the brand in 2025, and it lets you buy gold with a documented origin from a single gram upward. Here is what Small Craft stands for, who checks the mines, what the premium pays for – and how to trace a bar back to its mine.

Key insights

• Small Craft is a brand, not a certification. Argor-Heraeus launched the product line in May 2025 for gold from artisanal and small-scale mining. Three established programs check the mines, not the brand itself.
• Every Small Craft mine is covered by Swiss Better Gold, Fairtrade or Fairmined. Fairtrade and Fairmined certify mines against their own standards. Swiss Better Gold accredits them against 27 criteria, confirmed by independent verifiers.
• At least 1.35 US dollars per gram goes to development and verification. For Swiss Better Gold, the premium goes into a fund that co-finances projects with the mines. Fairtrade and Fairmined mines receive their own, higher premiums.
• Every bar leads back to its mine. Argor-Heraeus combines a geological fingerprint, segregated production, a digital scan of each bar and a tamper-proof online record. The serial number reveals the mine.
• Most Small Craft gold comes from Peru and Colombia. At Fairever, it is available as a 1 g minted bar – the smallest way into traceable artisanal gold.

What Small Craft gold is – and what it isn't

Small Craft gold is traceable gold from artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM), sourced from mines that recognized small-scale mining programs have accredited or certified. "Small Craft" is the name of a product line by Argor-Heraeus, a refiner based in Mendrisio, Switzerland. The company launched it on May 20, 2025.¹

What Small Craft is not: a standard of its own or a certification. Argor-Heraeus does not set a standard of its own for the mines or certify them. That job belongs to Swiss Better Gold, Fairtrade and Fairmined. The brand adds a clear sourcing rule, a premium for the mines and its own traceability technology.

Why small-scale mining? It produces around 15–20 % of the world's gold, but it provides around 90 % of all jobs in gold mining. More than 100 million people rely on the sector for a living.² Buying gold from responsible small-scale mines puts money where most gold miners work. The background: artisanal and small-scale gold mining.

Argor-Heraeus is on the Good Delivery List of accredited gold refiners kept by the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA).³ It makes Small Craft as minted bars of 1 and 10 grams, cast bars of 1 kilogram, grain and Good Delivery bars.¹⁴ At Fairever, you can buy the 1 g minted bar in 999.9 fine gold. More on the product: Small Craft gold bars explained.

The three programs behind Small Craft gold

Small Craft gold comes only from mines covered by one of three programs: Swiss Better Gold, Fairtrade or Fairmined. Argor-Heraeus limits all of its sourcing from small-scale mining to these three, and for Small Craft it uses gold from mines accredited under them.⁵

All three focus on artisanal and small-scale mining, but they work differently. Which program is behind which batch is not published for the product line as a whole. For your own bar, the serial number shows the mine.

Swiss Better Gold: accreditation step by step

Swiss Better Gold (SBG) accredits small-scale mines against 27 sourcing criteria. The criteria follow international guidance such as the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for minerals and the LBMA's responsible sourcing program.⁶ Behind it is the Swiss Better Gold Association, founded in 2013 by six companies, among them Argor-Heraeus.⁷

The association points out that SBG "is not a certification nor a standard."⁸ It is built on continuous improvement instead. Mining operations climb a three-step "Continuous Improvement Escalator," supported on the ground by implementing partners that provide technical help and monitoring. From step 2 on, an operation counts as accredited.⁶⁹ Independent verifiers approved by the association review the operations' reports and visit the mines, including interviews with managers and workers.¹⁰

The system has consequences: in 2025, SBG suspended 10 operations. The same year, 27 accredited operations in Colombia and Peru exported 2,712 kilograms of gold. Across all steps, the program counted 7,352 miners.⁹ More on the program: what is Swiss Better Gold?

Fairtrade and Fairmined: certified small-scale mines

Fairtrade and Fairmined are certification systems with their own standards for gold from artisanal and small-scale mining. Certified mines receive at least 95 % of the LBMA gold price plus a premium. Independent auditors check them at the mine: FLOCERT for Fairtrade, certification bodies recognized by the Alliance for Responsible Mining (ARM) for Fairmined.¹¹¹²

Both standards set binding rules for working conditions and the environment, from protective equipment to strict rules on the use of mercury.¹¹¹² The details: what is Fairtrade Gold? and what is Fairmined Gold?

Where Small Craft gold comes from

Small Craft gold comes mainly from small-scale mines in Peru and Colombia.¹³ In 2025, all of SBG's accredited operations were located in these two countries.⁹ The same goes for most Fairtrade- and Fairmined-certified mines: of the 11 mining organizations holding Fairmined certification in 2025, five were in Colombia and six in Peru.¹⁴

There is no public list of the mines behind Small Craft. Instead, each bar documents its own origin, as explained below.

New regions are in preparation. By the end of 2025, five operations in Mongolia had reached step 1 of Swiss Better Gold, with exports planned from 2026. In Ecuador, SBG, Argor-Heraeus and the country's central bank signed a memorandum of understanding, and eight small-scale producers were identified for assessment.⁹ Operations in step 1 are not yet accredited.

How the Small Craft premium works

For every gram of Small Craft gold, at least 1.35 US dollars goes toward development at the mines and toward verifying the sourcing.¹⁵ How the money flows depends on the program.

For Swiss Better Gold, every gram purchased from accredited mines carries an impact premium of 1.35 US dollars, up from 1 dollar before 2025. The money goes into the Swiss Better Gold Fund:¹⁶

• 0.70 US dollars per gram fund social and environmental projects.
• 0.50 US dollars per gram fund technical assistance for the mines.
• 0.15 US dollars per gram cover verification and the association's operating costs.

The association manages the fund. Accredited producers use it to cover half the cost of projects at and around their mines and pay the other half themselves.⁸ In 2025, the program generated 2.33 million US dollars in premiums and invested 0.96 million in the same year; many projects run over several years. Its social and environmental projects reached 5,970 people directly.⁹

For Fairtrade and Fairmined gold, the premiums of the two standards apply: 2,000 US dollars per kilogram for Fairtrade and 4,000 for Fairmined, or 2 and 4 dollars per gram. They are paid in full to the mining organization, and a premium committee decides how to use them.¹¹¹²

Argor-Heraeus also runs projects of its own. In Peru, its Emprende Pallaquera initiative helped 28 women who collect ore from mine waste to launch three small businesses in 2024.⁵

How your bar is traced back to the mine

Every Small Craft bar can be traced back to the mine its gold comes from. Argor-Heraeus combines four methods:¹⁷

• Geoforensic analysis matches the gold with the geological fingerprint of the mine site.
• Segregated production keeps Small Craft gold apart, on dedicated refining lines and with its own handling procedures.
• A digital twin, a scan of each bar's surface, identifies every single bar securely.
• A provenance record based on distributed ledger technology links each stage of the supply chain in a record that cannot be altered.

For you as a buyer, it all comes down to one number. Scan the QR code on the packaging or enter the bar's serial number in Argor-Heraeus' online portal, and it shows the mine and the country your gold comes from. We have checked this ourselves.¹³

That is the core of what we mean by traceable: not just a known refiner, but a known mine. Why that matters: traceable gold.

Small Craft vs Fairtrade, Fairmined and SMO gold

Small Craft is one of four responsible gold options at Fairever, each with its own strengths. Small Craft, Fairtrade and Fairmined gold all come from artisanal and small-scale mining. Single Mine Origin (SMO) gold comes from large-scale mining.

Sources: Argor-Heraeus, Swiss Better Gold, Fairtrade and Fairmined standards, SMO, Fairever.^51611121318

Which option fits depends on what matters most to you. Fairtrade and Fairmined combine a certification standard with a minimum price and a premium paid directly to the mining organization. SMO gold offers larger volumes at competitive prices from large mines that publish ESG data every year.¹³¹⁸ Small Craft makes traceable artisanal gold from three recognized programs available from a single gram. All four side by side: responsible gold sourcing.

FAQs: What is Small Craft gold?

Key takeaways

In a nutshell ...

• Small Craft names the source, the programs set the rules. The brand by Argor-Heraeus stands for gold from artisanal and small-scale mines. Swiss Better Gold, Fairtrade and Fairmined set and check the requirements.
• Swiss Better Gold works like an escalator. Mines improve step by step against 27 criteria, independent verifiers confirm the progress – and operations can be suspended, as 10 were in 2025.
• Every gram carries a premium for the mines. At least 1.35 US dollars per gram. Across the program, Swiss Better Gold generated 2.33 million US dollars in 2025 for projects, technical assistance and verification.
• Your bar knows its mine. A serial number, a digital twin and a tamper-proof record link every Small Craft bar with the mine its gold comes from.
• Start small, ask for the mine. Whether you buy 1 gram or 1 kilogram, ask your dealer which mine your gold comes from – and which program checks it.

Get active, be the change!

Our Small Craft gold bar weighs 1 gram and contains 999.9 fine gold.

Looking for your first gram of gold with a documented origin – or a gift that tells a story? Take a look at our Small Craft gold bar.

Further reading

• Weight, packaging and what makes the bar special: Small Craft gold bars explained.
• The program behind most of the accredited mines: what is Swiss Better Gold?
• All our sourcing models side by side: responsible gold sourcing.

Sources

1. Argor-Heraeus, Argor-Heraeus launches traceable gold lines: Small Craft and Origin Traced, May 20, 2025. ↩ ↩
2. planetGOLD, Frequently Asked Questions, 2024 (artisanal and small-scale mining produces 500–600 t of gold a year); World Gold Council / Metals Focus, Gold Demand Trends Full Year 2025 – Supply, January 2026 (world mine production of 3,671.6 t in 2025); World Gold Council, Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining (up to 20 % of annual supply). 500–600 t of 3,671.6 t is 14–16 %; we use a range of 15 to 20 % to reflect the higher estimates. Employment: IGF / IISD, Global Trends in Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining, 2018, p. 3. People relying on the sector: planetGOLD, An Introduction to ASGM, accessed September 2026. ↩
3. London Bullion Market Association, Good Delivery Current List – Gold, accessed September 2026. ↩
4. Argor-Heraeus, Small Craft, Precioustous product website, accessed September 2026. ↩
5. Argor-Heraeus, Precious to us – Sustainability Factbook 2024, 2025, pp. 62, 69 and 85. ↩ ↩ ↩
6. Swiss Better Gold Association, Our approach, accessed September 2026. ↩ ↩
7. Swiss Better Gold Association, About us, accessed September 2026. ↩
8. Swiss Better Gold Association, Swiss Better Gold Frequently Asked Questions, 2026, sections I.B, IV.B, IV.F and IV.K. ↩ ↩
9. Swiss Better Gold Association, Impact Report 2025, 2026, pp. 16–19 and 38. ↩ ↩ ↩ ↩ ↩
10. Swiss Better Gold Association, Swiss Better Gold verification guidance – summary, version 1, February 2022. ↩
11. Fairtrade International, Fairtrade Standard for Gold and Associated Precious Metals for Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining, version 1.2 (in force until June 30, 2027; version 2.0 applies from July 1, 2027), requirements 3.2.5, 3.3.47, 4.1.1, 4.5.1, 4.5.3 and 4.5.5. Certification and audits by FLOCERT. ↩ ↩ ↩ ↩
12. Alliance for Responsible Mining, Fairmined Standard for Gold from Artisanal and Small-scale Mining, including Associated Precious Metals, version 2.0, April 5, 2014, sections 2.1 and 3.4 and requirements 4.1.1, 5.2.1, 5.2.5, 5.2.6 and 5.2.8. ↩ ↩ ↩ ↩
13. Fairever, internal information, September 2026. ↩ ↩ ↩ ↩
14. Alliance for Responsible Mining, ARM Annual Report 2025, 2026. ↩
15. Own derivation: Argor-Heraeus sources Small Craft gold only from mines under Swiss Better Gold, Fairtrade or Fairmined (footnote 5). Their premiums are 1.35 US dollars per gram for Swiss Better Gold (footnote 16), 2 US dollars for Fairtrade and 4 US dollars for Fairmined (footnotes 11 and 12). The lowest of the three sets the minimum. ↩
16. Swiss Better Gold Association, Impact Report 2024, 2025, pp. 21–22. ↩ ↩
17. Argor-Heraeus, 1g Au Minted Small Craft 999.9, product page, accessed September 2026. ↩
18. Single Mine Origin, SMO Gold, accessed September 2026. ↩ ↩