Being a trusted partner is one of our core values, and we work together with industry stakeholders to raise awareness on producing gold responsibly in a way that can benefit all stakeholders.
Single Mine Origin was established in 2020 to provide confidence to consumers who buy gold products by enabling them to trace the origin of the metal all the way back from the finished product to the mine where it was produced, in the knowledge that it comes from a responsible source with the highest environmental, social and governance standards.
Jewellers using SMO gold can trace every ounce of gold back to an accredited mine that mines responsibly and ensures that communities living locally benefit from sustainability initiatives.
SMO gold has gained increasing visibility in front of jewellers over the last few years with features in global fashion media and on the red carpet.
From Mine to Met
In a world first, gold from our Ity mine in Côte d’Ivoire was worn by British-Ghanian actress and screenwriter, Michaela Coel, who co-hosted Vogue’s Met Gala in New York in May 2023.
Coel wore jewellery specially created for this event by Ghanaian-British jeweller Emefa Cole using gold from our Ity mine, which is certified by the Single Mine Origin (“SMO”) initiative.
Using a QR code, consumers can see the provenance of the SMO gold in their jewellery and understand the direct impacts of their purchase on local communities and environments.
Our Ity mine was the first of Endeavour’s mines to join the initiative in 2021 and was selected to be an SMO partner due to its industry-leading ESG standards.
Considering the powerful socioeconomic impact we have in our host countries, we are pleased that SMO offers a new standard which recognises our efforts, giving our gold the differentiation that it deserves on the international stage.
Promoting the ethical sourcing of gold
Being a trusted partner is one of our core values, and we work together with industry stakeholders to raise awareness on producing gold responsibly in a way that it can benefit all stakeholders.
In 2023 our partnership with SMO gained momentum with increased demand for SMO gold from jewellers due to their desire to trace every ounce of gold back to an accredited mine that mines responsibly and ensures that communities living locally benefit from sustainability initiatives.
SMO gold has gained increasing visibility in front of jewellers over the last few years with features in most leading global fashion media, including Emma Watson wearing SMO gold on the cover of British Vogue January 2024 Sustainable issue.
In April 2023, a group of stakeholders from the jewellery industry visited our Ity mine to better understand how gold is produced and to see how we implement our ESG strategy on site and in the surrounding area to the mine. The group visited income-generating activities that we support in our host communities, such as the female cassava cooperative and local farms, as well as taking part in a tree planting ceremony in one of our conservation areas.
Our EVP, Supply Chain and ESG, Djaria Traore and VP, Public Relations, Côte d’Ivoire, Laetitia Gadegbeku-Ouattara joined the visitors and were welcomed by Ity’s now General Manager, Drissa Soro and team. In July, Vanity Fair featured a double spread on the visit, highlighting the importance of ethical sourcing from responsible gold miners.
Sustainability Report 2023
Read about our ESG strategy and the significant sustainability milestones reached in 2023.
