A new precious metal made from recycled silver and platinum

Did you know that the working conditions in silver mines, where silver products are made, are terrible?
Did you know that silver can be recycled throughout its life without losing its quality?
Only about 15% of silver products in the world are made from recycled materials from urban mines. Pure silver is the least allergic material of all metals.

"I want everyone to enjoy silver products both physically and mentally."
A long-established jewelry manufacturer in Yamanashi has been making jewelry for many years, so they have thought seriously about the future and have shaped their ideas into the brand "ReAg999", which is made from recycled pure silver materials such as large amounts of discarded home appliances.

We empathize with that pride and passion, and by adopting the next-generation silver material "ReAg999", which is kind to both the environment and people, we will contribute to a gentle cycle in the world we live in.

About the material called silver

Silver
・Element symbol: Ag
・The total amount on Earth is about 1.4 million tons (gold is about 230,000 tons)
・It is less rare and cheaper than gold and platinum among precious metals.
-Silver has the highest electrical and thermal conductivity and reflectivity of any metal.
- Excellent ductility and malleability, making it easy to process

Of the estimated 1.4 million tons of silver in the world, approximately 1.1 million tons have been mined so far, mainly from mines in Mexico, Peru, and China, much of which has been used in industrial products, accessories, and home appliances.

The resource is limited . It is highly useful, and even though about 1.1 million tonnes have already been mined, there is still demand, and it is said that its scarcity may increase rapidly in the future.
It is said that there are approximately 300,000 tons of silver reserves remaining in the world, and if mining continues at the current rate, it is believed that the silver reserves of natural resource-rich countries will be depleted around 2040-50.

Japan: A country with urban mines comparable to resource-rich countries

Which country has the world's largest reserves?
So, where is the world's largest silver deposit?
In fact, if you say "Japan," everyone will be surprised.
However, Japan is poor in metal resources, and its domestic self-sufficiency rate is close to zero.
It has been said that the likelihood of new high-quality deposits being discovered in unexplored geology in the future is low, and that Japan will have to rely on overseas sources for mineral resources.
However, a survey by the National Institute for Materials Science in Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture, revealed that the amount of metals eligible for recycling in what are known as "urban mines" is on a scale comparable to that of some of the world's leading resource-rich countries.

What are urban mines? And what are their potential?
Useful metal resources exist in the large quantities of discarded home appliances, mobile phones, and other electronic devices, and this refers to treating these as one big mine and actively recycling resources from there.

This means that there are abundant mines all around us.
Japan's silver reserves are estimated to be about 60,000 tons.
This accounts for approximately 20% of the world.
With concerns over the depletion of metal resources, if they are utilized effectively, they could be as valuable as or even better than natural deposits.

It's a strange story that Japan, which was said to have few natural resources, has somehow become a resource-rich nation.
Japan's "recycling technology" for extracting metals from mobile phones and other items is a technology that we can be proud of and is among the best in the world when compared to other countries.

Although recycling of resources from home appliances is being carried out in various countries around the world, the recycling process still produces toxic chemicals that harm people's health and the environment, and there is still a long way to go. The reality is that there are many countries and regions where proper disposal is not being carried out.

Now, utilizing recycled silver could be an extremely valuable way to save Japan and the planet.

Doing what we can for the future and the earth

The potential of urban mines
It is estimated that the amount of small home appliances such as smartphones and game consoles that are discarded across Japan each year reaches approximately 650,000 tons.
This includes useful metals such as gold, silver, iron and copper, and the value is said to be nearly 85 billion yen per year.
How to effectively utilize "urban mines" - the vast amounts of discarded home appliances that contain valuable resources - is a global issue.
Recycled silver materials include some of the following items: personal computers, digital cameras, tablets, printers, telephones and fax machines, audio players, recorders, speakers, car navigation systems, rice cookers, juicers and blenders, coffee makers, hot plates, humidifiers, dehumidifiers, air purifiers, electric toothbrushes, electric razors, household sewing machines, various cables, remote controls, clocks, and e-book readers.
It also significantly reduces carbon dioxide emissions generated by silver mining.

Improving poor working conditions <br>The working conditions in silver mines are also known to be poor around the world. In particular, the Potosi mines in Bolivia are said to be a "negative legacy," with as many as 8 million people forced to work there under Spanish rule, and many losing their lives to accidents and disease.

People-friendly materials

1. Metal allergies
Pure silver is considered to be the least likely metal to cause allergies. Silver 925 and 950 contain small amounts of copper, which increases the risk of metal allergies compared to ReAg999.

2. Antibacterial properties
Pure silver has the best antibacterial properties of any metal, and is increasingly being used in many industries, including tableware, chopsticks, kitchen utensils, and silver fillings.

3. Color fastness
ReAg999 is made of silver and platinum and does not contain copper. It tarnishes much slower than silver 925, and even if it does tarnish, it does not penetrate deep inside, making it easy to care for.