Concerned consumers, organisations, and governments around the world continue to shine a light on conflict minerals. These tainted commodities are traded by private armed groups for monetary gain to finance civil conflicts and violence which contribute to the violation of human rights. Thus, the quest for ‘responsible’ and ethically sourced minerals is becoming more and more prevalent.

Conflict minerals, which can include gold ore, are smuggled out of countries such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and parts of Afghanistan, Columbia, and Zimbabwe, and shipped to smelters around the world for refinement.