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Royal Mint launches jewellery and homeware line

Royal Mint's 886 luxury jewellery range will be the first brand to use 100% recycled gold from electronic waste. Photo: Royal Mint
Royal Mint's 886 luxury jewellery range will be the first brand to use 100% recycled gold from electronic waste. Photo: Royal Mint

The Royal Mint has entered the luxury sector with the launch of its new lifestyle brand, featuring a fine jewellery and homeware line.

The mint said its 886 collection celebrates the tradition of British portraiture and the history of the Royal Mint as a visual storyteller.

It will be the first time a luxury jewellery range has been made using 100% recovered gold sourced from discarded electronic waste.

"Each piece is crafted from solid gold or silver, using ancient techniques more commonly used in coin and medal-making," the Royal Mint said. "Precious metals are struck, forged and pulled rather than cast, increasing the density of the metal and making it 30% stronger."

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Every design is available in 18ct solid gold, 9ct solid gold, Sterling silver and Britannia silver in a variety of different widths and weights. Pieces are hallmarked alongside the gram weight of the metal, a marker of intrinsic value that can be passed down through generations.

Read more: Climate change: Call for UK to issue 'sustainability-bonds'

The process will result in jewellery with a "satisfying weight, remarkable durability and a superior lustre", the Royal Mint said.

The Royal Mint has partnered with Canadian clean technology firm Excir to extract pure gold from discarded laptops and mobile phones.

Excir's patented technology recovers over 99% of gold from e-waste contained within circuit boards of discarded electronic devices as its chemistry selectively targets and extracts metals from circuit boards.

In March, the mint announced plans to build a plant in South Wales to recover gold from UK e-waste, expected to be fully operational in 2023. It expects to process up to 90 tonnes of UK-sourced circuit boards per week — generating hundreds of kilograms of gold per year.

Read more: Royal Mint to turn e-waste from phones and laptops into gold coins in 'world's first'

The range will be designed by creative director Dominic Jones, with the contemporary unisex pieces to be mainly crafted in-house in the UK using gold recovered from electronic waste.

Jones said: "The 886 collection began with the idea of an institutional gold bullion that has been distorted, inverted and warped into a gentle, soft shape that feels like it floats off the skin.

"I wanted to celebrate the inherent beauty of precious metal, without the distraction of stones or design flourishes. It’s very brave in its simplicity.

"The Royal Mint was created as a trusted place to store value through materials, and the 886 collection explores the idea of jewellery as a wearable asset, in beautiful, classic pieces that will retain their value for multiple generations."

Watch: Where do the Queen and royal family get their money from?