In Eure-et-Loire, a company recovers precious computer waste to make jewelry

Our waste is worth gold, and that’s not just a way of speaking. Some parts of our old computers or telephones really contain it. In Eure-et-Loire, a company refurbishes computer equipment. Nearly 1000 tonnes are processed each year. The company dismantles equipment that cannot be reconditioned to recover the various components. Because inside our devices are hidden little treasures: copper, zinc, aluminum and above all one of the most expensive materials in the world: gold.

“On these bars of RAM, we have a thin slice of gold and that is a few microns of gold that are deposited each time on these bars”, demonstrates Laurent Berthuel, Managing Director of Printerre. A computer can contain up to two grams of gold. It took the company 4 years to create this unique chemical process which allows the extraction of this precious metal, i.e. a hundred grams of gold per quarter.

The 2024 Olympics medals in recycled gold?

This process is of interest to jewelry. The company has partnered with an independent jewelry store in Paris, not far from the prestigious Place Vendôme, to make jewelry. From this partnership was born a jewelry brand created from gold extracted from computer waste. This 100% recycled gold has not lost its value. A collection of limited edition rings and bracelets has already seen the light of day. “We tried green enamel which recalls the source of our gold which are Sim cards, motherboards which are often of this color. I think everyone has become aware of the importance of upgrading, and that’s what we do“, explains Anne Gauthier, director of the “Emblem” brand.

But the entrepreneur wants to go even further and has a dream: to supply recycled gold to make the medals for the Paris 2024 Olympics.