Our story: X-ray recycled silver

Considered
Sep 26
3 min read

At Considered, we believe that beauty should never come at the cost of integrity. That’s why we choose materials that honour both the planet and the people who wear them. One of those materials is our AgAIN recycled silver—an exciting innovation changing the way we think about recycling in jewellery. The silver in our Provenance Pearl collection comes from this special source, with an unexpected story you can proudly share with your community.

WHAT MAKES our silver DIFFERENT

We take immense pride in knowing the origin of all the precious metals in our jewellery collections. Our gold and silver are either sourced from Fairmined certified mines or crafted from recycled materials.

Recycled metals generally come from a mix of old jewellery and industry scrap, which is the industry norm. So much so that most jewellery on sale will contain metals that have been used before. Precious metals are never considered waste, because they are so valuable. Every last scrap is always carefully collected and reused.

When we use the word 'recycled,' we aim to embody the true definition of reusing materials that would otherwise be discarded. So, for our limited-edition Provenance Pearls, we've sourced an extraordinary supply of traceable silver extracted from old X-ray film.

A Second Life for Medical X-Rays

This special silver come from our precious metal supplier Betts, and is salvaged from used medical X-ray film otherwise destined for landfill. NHS hospitals across the UK store redundant X-ray films for many years after use and at great cost. Betts is collaborating with the NHS Trust to collect this film and recycle every element, from the film itself to the accompanying paperwork.

Firstly, the X-ray film is broken down into small pieces and cleaned. The metal is removed and smelted into a semi-pure bar of silver. It is then refined into fine silver (which means any other metals or impurities are removed), granulated or made into sheet and wire, ready for jewellery manufacture.

Silver recycled from X-ray film

The silver is fully traceable and refined in the UK using a closed-loop system. That means no new mining, no overseas processing, and no compromise. Every gram of AgAIN silver is refined to the same high standard as newly mined metal, and is independently hallmarked by the UK Assay Offices to ensure purity.

AgAIN is a play on words. Ag is derived from silver’s Latin name: Argentum. It also refers to silver’s chemical symbol in the periodic table. It’s silver, again. But better.

Why It Matters

Most recycled silver on the market is imported and lacks transparency. You rarely know where it came from, how it was processed, or what impact it had along the way. With AgAIN, we know exactly where our silver begins—and where it’s going. It’s refined by Betts Metals in the UK, a family-run business with over 250 years of ethical metalworking behind them. For us, that traceability isn’t a bonus. It’s a baseline.

Choosing silver recycled from a waste stream helps us to minimise the the carbon footprint of the metal. But, AgAIN is not just about recycling. It also provides a valuable waste solution for the NHS: helping hospitals across the UK to earn money from old X-rays which would normally be stored or sent to landfill, costing money and wasting resources.

From x-ray to STUNNING jewellery

AgAIN silver is the foundation of our Provenance Pearls and will feature in more of our upcoming collections. When you wear a piece made with AgAIN, you’re wearing a story of renewal—of materials given a second life, and values made visible.

Choose from sterling silver, or silver with reclaimed gold vermeil plating.

We’re dedicated to creating a radically transparent jewellery brand, which you can buy with confidence. Feel free to drop us a line with any questions, we’d love to hear from you.