Between 1995 and 2015, approximately half of the gold produced worldwide has or will come from the traditional territories of indigenous peoples, whose land rights are often not clearly recognized. Even when indigenous groups hold legal title to surface lands, some governments sell off the subsurface rights to mining corporations. Where did the gold in your ring come from? This is the central question of a webpage produced by the World Watch Institute, which notes that once mine ore is extracted, the mine ore is crushed, piled into heaps, and sprayed with cyanide to separate out the gold. Years later, the abandoned waste piles can still release acid and toxic heavy metals into streams, rivers, and groundwater. The gold produced for a single .33 ounce, 18 karat gold ring leaves in its wake at least 18 tons of mine waste.