Turning Old iPhones into Gold Jewelry
May 20, 25
(IDEX Online) - Sisters Alice and Karen Chave are turning gold salvaged from old iPhones, laptops and other "electronic waste" into fine jewelry.
They partner with companies that specialize in recovering precious metals from e-waste circuit boards and have launched a Tech for Treasure campaign in London, with collection points for unwanted devices.
They also source gold from small-scale, formalized artisanal mining operations in Peru.
Alice and Karen, who founded their company Incador in August 2024, use laser metal fusion (LMF) - or metal 3D printing - to create a range of complex designs in yellow, white and rose gold, as well as an exclusive "champagne gold" alloy.
They offer a range of rings, earrings, pendants and necklaces, priced from $1,500 to $4,900.
Customers can choose between e-waste gold or artisanal gold, for the same price.
Incador's model is designed to be both environmentally and socially responsible, tackling the global e-waste problem (with only 22.3% of e-waste formally recycled as of 2022) and supporting ethical mining practices.
Pics courtesy Incador.