ASINS ALCHEMY

Gold, the eternal symbol of wealth and prosperity, is deeply entrenched in the sustainable traditions of Asia, where recycling isn't a trend but a legacy. Tatler finds out how we lost our way and how we can learn to be more environmentally conscious based on culture and traditions

- Amrita Katara

Asia’s relationship with gold transcends mere adornment, intertwining sustainability with ancestral wisdom. From the urban mines in Tokyo to the rivers where the Igorot people in the Philippines pan for gold, the continent is a mosaic of recycling practices, as traditional as it is diverse.

The concept of “precious metals” is age-old; take, for example, their long-time use as currency. “Coins were the currency for [trade on the] Silk Road. So you could have gold and silver coins—alloys with brass and lead— and then you could [trade them for] goods. And this was interesting for two reasons,” says Mathilde Berger, art historian and lecturer at L’École Asia Pacific. “First, a Silk Road trade allowed people to use those coins and to transport them; they started to pierce them, drilling the metal to string it around themselves—[an early form of ] a bank account. Back then, you did not have a bank with a safe with silver and gold in it. You had to string it and wear it on your belt or around your neck,” rather like a necklace, she explains. “So you see where the jewels and metals start to have a connection. They had to wear it because of their nomadic lifestyle.” What’s more, she says, “Ancient civilisations in Asia understood the value of gold not only as a symbol of wealth but as a resource to be cherished and reused.”

From this concept of reuse of certain metals emerged the idea of recycling, which is deeply ingrained in ancient cultures. “If we went back in time and asked people about recycling and sustainability, they would find it a very odd question, because they never wasted. Especially with metal: the intrinsic practice within goldsmithing workshops all around the world has always been to melt metal and mint coins. The practice of recycling gold is not a modern innovation but a timehonoured tradition.”