Jewellery Council of South Africa (JCSA)
South Africa is as beguiling and complex beneath her surface as she is exquisite at first glance. From the depths of her heart she offers precious gifts of gold, platinum, diamonds, and other precious gems, to master craftsmen, who are charged with skillfully revealing their beauty to the world.
As custodians of the South African jewellery industry, we’re here to make sure our 1580 members act with integrity, responsibility and sustainability in mind.
Proudly South African
The Proudly South African Campaign encourages the South African Nation to make personal and organisational contributions to economic growth and prosperity in South Africa, thereby increasing employment opportunities and reinforcing national pride. Gauteng Refinery is a Proudly South African member.
- 80 to 85 % of electronic products are discarded in landfills or incinerators and release toxins into the air.
- E waste represents 2 % of America’s trash in landfills, but it equals 70 % of overall toxic waste.
- Americans dump cell phones containing over $60 million in gold and silver every year.
- It takes 245 kg of fossil fuel, 22 kg of chemicals, and 1,5 tonnes of water to manufacture one computer and monitor.
- 20 to 50 million metric tons of e waste are disposed of worldwide every year.
- Only 12,5 % of e waste is currently recycled.
- For every 1 million cell phones that are recycled 16 tonnes of copper, 350 kg of silver, 195 kg of gold, and 15 kg of palladium can be recovered.
- Indicative 80 000 tonnes of e waste is generated per annum in South Africa.
- It is told that a silver string bound the winds in a leather bag carried by Ulysses.
- Druid, Wiccan and pagan priestesses would wear silver rings as “circles of protection” for warding off evil spirits and used silver vessels for working magical enchantments.
- In Astrology silver is closely associated with the moon.
- Silver is often associated with the “sixth chakra” or “third eye.”
- In ancient Egypt silver was valued much more than gold.
- When the Phoenicians first came to what is now Spain, they obtained so much silver that they could not fit it all on their ships, and as a result used silver to weight their anchors instead of lead.
- The Phoenicians stored water, wine and vinegar in silver bottles to avoid bacteria contaminating the liquids.
- Silver compounds were used to prevent infection spreading in war zones during World War 1.
- The expression “born with a silver spoon in their mouth” actually refers to health rather than wealth, as children fed with silver spoons were believed to be healthier because of its anti bacterial properties.
- An ounce of silver can be made into a wire 8 250 metres long.
- A single grain of silver can be pressed into a sheet 150 times thinner than the average sheet of paper.
- Silver is used not only in jewellery, art, coins and utensils, but also dentistry, pacemakers, hearing aids, medicine, electronics, solar, space, photography, mirrors, soldering and brazing alloys, printed circuits and as a food colouring additive.
- Silver iodide is used to make clouds produce rain.
- Silver has had more patents issued with its use than all other metals combined.