In the remote New Zealand countryside, Alice Herald has discovered independent miners who source gold without using cyanide or mercury-all the better to make her punky yet refined jewellery with, says Annabel Davidson

DIGGING DEEPER by Annabel Davidson

VANITY FAIR On Jewellery – July/August 2025

“THINK OF NEW ZEALAND, and most likely you’ll envisage sheep, bungee jumping, the All Blacks, and Hobbiton, the movie set where some of the Lord of the Rings series was filmed. Very few people think of gold, but for jeweller Alice Herald, Aotearoa, the Māori word for New Zealand, and gold go hand in hand.

“Traceability and responsible luxury are hugely important to me,” the Wanaka-based, British-born jeweller says. “And being in a small country like New Zealand, when you’re very far away from the industry, you have the luxury of being more in control, as you’re not that far from the source.”

Herald’s work, which ranges from ultra-wearable gold hoops striped with diamond rows, to dramatic, punkish bangles studded with diamonds and set with an oversized pink cabochon tourmaline, is now all made in traceable New Zealand gold-which wasn’t possible until she pushed for it. “We have gold in New Zealand, and I’ve been badgering a foundry here for two years to keep it separate from other sources, such as recycled gold or scrap metal,” she says. “Surely we must be able to make gold that is mined right here traceable? But it’s down to volume.

It’s not worth a foundry’s time and effort to keep newly mined New Zealand gold separate from everything else.”

That everything else is mainly lemel, the dust and tiny bits of gold from a jeweller’s bench; scrap, old, broken or unwanted jewellery, watches, silverware or anything containing precious metal; and sweep, the dust and other accrued material from any space that uses precious metal. It’s also newly mined gold from small-scale mines across Australia and New Zealand.

New Zealand has only a couple of large-scale mines, but on the West Coast of the South Island, private, small-scale contractors can mine for alluvial gold (which has been naturally eroded from mountains by melting glaciers), often using nothing more than gravity and magnets to separate the gold from the black sand and silt it is found in.

“A representative for the foundry that is now supplying me with pure New Zealand gold literally goes around these private miners and collects their gold in glass jam jars,” Herald laughs. “And then it goes to the refinery in Auckland where it’s kept completely segregated, locked in its own vault, and only cast on certain days when they don’t cast any other type of gold.”

Last year, in a bid to sate her curiosity and see for herself first-hand how the gold is mined, Herald travelled to meet one contractor, who mines a claim on a bit of farmland near the West Coast town of Hokitika as a side gig to his contracting business. Earlier this year, she returned to learn more. “He has been mining since he was 15, and he’d be in his early Gos now,” Herald says.

“He drove me out to his claim past lots of exhausted ones, some of which haven’t been touched since the 186Os.” (New Zealand experienced a gold rush for about 20 years from the 186os.)

“There were old sites that were just holes, and mounds of debris and rocks, and he could tell me what era they were from because of their condition.”

When they reached one particular stretch of farmland, consisting of beautiful green grass mounds, like small hills, the miner announced that he had mined that site, and as per Department of Conservation regulations, returned it to beautiful grazing land. “A year earlier, it had been this big water pit being mined, and now it’s back to being lush green pasture,” Herald says.

“What makes the way he mines so environmentally friendly is that he’s working with the water table, so there’s no transporting of water or dirty water run-off. They work within the pit, take the silt back to his big shed where they just separate the gold from the black sand by spinning it centrifugally and using water and gravity. There’s no cyanide or mercury. It’s just so incredibly simple.” Simple, maybe, but if it wasn’t for Herald spending years campaigning for her miner contact’s gold-and others like it-to be segregated from the rest, New Zealand gold as a precious, traceable, responsibly mined product wouldn’t exist. It’s proof that the actions of one person can make a huge difference. May the industry as a whole follow suit.”

Our New Zealand Gold

Why it’s so important to know origin

If you follow me on socials you’ll know I visited one of our alluvial gold mines last week on the West Coast of New Zealand. I felt like I was on a school trip, totally fascinating to see the process first hand, meet one of the family-owned mines and verify what I’m being told is true.

So why is this important?

Historically, mining as a word has a bad name for itself. Extracting minerals from Mother Earth and the way in which it is done, as well as the impact on the surrounding environment and its community are all elements that can and have faced backlash over the years and for good reason.

For example, hard rock gold mining is far more invasive than alluvial gold mining. It dramatically changes the natural landscape as well as impacting the local ecology. Alluvial gold mining can be done in several ways and if done well is relatively low impact. Some methods are more harsh to the environment than others so it’s important to know which one your gold derives from and how the mining company is giving back to the environment, supporting it and it’s local flora, fauna and community.

New Zealand is known for its natural beauty so for me, to know that this is being protected not only by the Department of Conservation but the mining companies we use as well was a critical factor.

To be able to visit the beautiful place where our gold comes from only 6 hours away, learn how it’s mined responsibly adhering to the strict New Zealand standards, has a low impact on the environment and actually nurtures it for the future returning the land to a higher level is so uplifting.

To see and hear about this roadie of mine, visit my INSTA HERE.

More on the actual process for any of you slightly more nerdy people wanting to know more!

Alice x

Pure GOLD

More on the process next time – just so exciting to see the gold filtered out of the rock and sand by such a simple process using water and gravity.

At the source

Using the natural water table means no extra water is needed to pump up to the site or importantly away from it dirty-ing the rivers.

My jewels are designed and crafted in New Zealand proudly using traceable New Zealand gold.

From New Zealand > New York > Dallas and around the World 

Next stop: The Conservatory in Dallas – a beautiful concept store.  Here’s me above inside the ‘jewellery house’.

I am very pleased to announce that we have ‘earned the Fern’ and are now a FernMark licensee.

DESIGN: All my jewels are designed by me here, in Wanaka New Zealand.

CRAFTSMANSHIP: My crafting team, with over 120 combined years of skill and knowledge, is based in Auckland, New Zealand, and the cherry on top is that my jewels are produced using mainly alluvial gold from the West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand.

UNIQUELY BEAUTIFUL: As my jewels expand their presence overseas, we have been telling our New Zealand designed and made story loud and proud.

The FernMark is a New Zealand trademark and symbol that represents the story of who we are and where we’re from:

“The Silver Fern is one of New Zealand’s most recognised, long-standing, and respected national symbols.

…the FernMark gives us the opportunity to represent New Zealand on the world stage and bring consumers on a journey to our shores through our New Zealand Story.”

All in all, a very special and more importantly, unique story to tell.

Alice x

Read Our New Zealand Story HERE

An artist’s process is a deeply personal and transformative journey, driven by passion, imagination, and an unwavering commitment to self-expression. From the initial spark of inspiration to the final touch, artists navigate a path filled with experimentation, introspection, and growth. Each artist’s process is unique, shaped by their individual experiences, influences, and artistic vision. 

The second part to this journal entry delves into the inspiration for the Once Upon a Time Collection. As we examine the origins of the classic fairytale we begin to  unveil the intricate layers of Alice’s process and as such, we gain a deeper appreciation for the beauty and significance of her creations, and a greater understanding of the profound impact art has on our world.

The Brothers Grimm, Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, made an indelible mark on the world of literature with their collection of fairy tales in Kinder und Hausmärchen (Children’s Household Tales). The publication of their first edition in 1812 marked a historic moment as it was the first systemic compilation of folktales in Europe and represented the first scholarly documentation of such a tradition. In 2005, UNESCO recognised the significance of their work by including it in its Memory of World Registry. This acknowledgement highlighted the immense impact the Grimm Brothers’ fairytales have had on modern culture and what is commonly regarded as the most widely distributed books that has emerged in the course of German cultural history

The Grimm Brothers’ unique contribution to folklore studies inspired folklorists across Europe and Great Britain to undertake similar efforts, gathering tales from their own oral traditions to preserve their cultural heritage.

The origin of the classic fairy tale lie in the rich tradition of oral folklore. Unlike the written form of fairy tales, folktales were told amongst the ‘folk’; ordinary people. The stories often delved into the darker more challenging aspects of life, particularly struggles faced by children as they navigate the uncertain and perilous world of adulthood. For centuries these tales were passed down from generation to generation as a means of imparting wisdom and life lessons resulting in leaving an oral trail as a vital part of cultural heritage.

It wasn’t until the seventeenth century that these stories began to be recorded in written form. However, it was much later in the early nineteenth century that Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, two German academics and linguists, embarked on a mission to  preserve these tales and the moral lessons embedded within them. They believed that the oral tradition represented the most natural and pure forms of culture, deeply rooted in history, and essential for community cohesion. A form of poetry for the people.

Over the course of several editions, from the first in 1812 to the seventh in 1857, the Grimm Brothers’ fairy tales gained immense popularity. The stories were adapted and refined to cater to a wide audience, evolving to shape modern society. Initially, the collection was never intended to be read by children. Only after some public disapproval of the subjects and dark tone, changes were made to make the folktales more palatable to children tales. The shift from a traditional folktale dealing with ordinary human characters, realistic settings and characteristically anonymous, timeless and placeless tale evolved into a literary framework with fantastic forces and beings, supernatural powers and imaginary characters ending with the hero or heroines’ transformative journey. Their enduring appeal lies in their ability to capture timeless themes and morals that continue to resonate with readers and viewers across the world.

Creating art is a journey that requires a willingness to embrace the unknown. Artists often face uncertainties and challenges along their creative path. They navigate through self-doubt, creative blocks, and the fear of failure. It is in these moments of vulnerability that true artistic breakthroughs can occur. Artists learn to trust their instincts, push beyond their comfort zones, and embrace the unexpected, allowing their art to evolve organically. 

Art, in all its forms, is a powerful medium for exploring and expressing beauty. Paintings, sculptures, music, literature, and dance enable us to capture and appreciate the essence of beauty beyond what is observable. Through artistic creations, we can delve into the depths of human emotions, challenge conventions, and convey profound messages. 

Today, the legacy of the Brothers Grimm lives on through the arts, music, theatre, film, new digitised media, and for Alice, the artistic medium of fine jewellery.

Through artists like Alice, their stories continue to evolve, inspire and captivate audiences, proving that their impact on cultural and storytelling remains as ubiquitous as ever.

View Once Upon a Time Collection