17 Years of AGUAdeORO - A Different Vision of Jewellery

On March 17, 2009, AGUAdeORO was founded in Geneva. We came into being at a moment when the world was slowly emerging from one of the most severe financial crises of the 21st century. It was not the easiest time to begin a young Maison, especially one built on demanding principles and a different vision of jewellery. And yet, 17 years later, we still stand here, deeply grateful.

The path has never been simple. Over the years, the world has repeatedly reminded us of its fragility. We have continued through uncertainty, crisis and instability, much of it beyond our control. Perhaps because of that, our conviction has only grown stronger: jewellery has meaning only when it is guided by conscience.

From the beginning, we chose to work with Fairtrade gold, knowing that this decision would require greater effort, greater discipline and greater cost than following conventional routes. We also chose to defend a vision of jewellery in which aesthetics and ethics cannot be separated. In a market still shaped by simplified narratives, we continue to believe that the word “natural” alone is not enough, particularly when diamonds and coloured gemstones are concerned. The most important question is: what human, social and environmental realities stand behind each material?

There is also a reality we can no longer ignore: a vicious circle.

This question feels especially urgent today. In periods of war, financial anxiety and geopolitical tension, gold is once again treated as a safe haven. As its price rises, so does the incentive to extract more of it. Nations seek to strengthen their reserves, investors increase their holdings, demand intensifies and the entire supply chain comes under pressure. In that context, artisanal and small-scale mining also expands. According to the World Gold Council, artisanal and small-scale mining accounts for roughly one fifth of newly mined gold. While it provides income for many communities, parts of the sector remain exposed to poverty, weak oversight and limited traceability, conditions that can make certain operations vulnerable to exploitation and criminal networks.

This is where the contradiction becomes difficult to ignore. Gold is associated with stability, yet parts of its supply chain can be shaped by instability, illegality and exploitation. International organizations including INTERPOL and UNODC have repeatedly warned that illegal gold mining in Latin America is deeply connected to organized crime and money laundering. In some regions, illicit gold has become one of the most profitable criminal economies.

The human cost is just as real. UNICEF documented in Mbal, in eastern Cameroon, how the gold rush caused school enrollment to fall from 323 to 159 students by the end of 2025. It is a stark reminder that when poverty, weak oversight and pressure to extract resources converge, the cost is often carried by the most vulnerable.

That is why, today more than ever, transparency is not a detail. It is a responsibility. Trust in gold depends not only on its beauty or value, but on the credibility of the way it is mined, traded and traced. It also depends on whether a client can understand, clearly and honestly, what stands behind a piece of jewellery. This is why we continue to work with Fairtrade gold certified under the Fairtrade system and supported in Switzerland by Max Havelaar.

Turning 17 is not only about marking a date. It is a moment to pause, reflect and reaffirm the principles that shaped AGUAdeORO from the very beginning. It is a reminder that another way of creating jewellery remains possible: one that does not renounce either elegance or ethics; one that understands that the luxury of the future will be defined not only by rarity or value, but also by the way something has been brought into the world.

Thank you to those who have believed in AGUAdeORO from the very beginning. To those who have walked beside us, and those who understand that a piece of jewellery is, above all, a statement, a gesture of love and a form of respect for the world.

After 17 years, we are still here. With gratitude. With clarity. And with the same determination that guided us on the first day: to create beauty while striving to reduce harm and deepen responsibility.