The Royal Mint is making jewellery out of silver extracted from hundreds of tonnes of old x-rays that had been kept in NHS hospitals.
X-ray films are often held in storage far longer than is legally required. NHS trusts will now be able to sell them to the Mint, which will pay for the silver they contain.
The metal will be fashioned into jewellery to be sold as part of the Royal Mint’s “886” collection of pendants, signet rings, bracelets and other products. The collection promotes sustainable design and takes inspiration from the history of the Royal Mint, which can trace its origins to about AD886.
The scheme is part of a broader push to reduce reliance on freshly mined precious metals.
“There has already