MEMBER LOGIN
RESPONSIBLE DIAMONDS POSITION STATEMENT
Jewelers of America advocates high ethical, social and environmental standards in the diamond and jewelry trade and among its members.
Jewelers of America members must adhere to our Code of Professional Practices, which includes human rights, social and environmental responsible business practices.
We believe a commitment to responsible diamonds must include suppliers, to ensure that responsible practices are addressed at every point in the supply chain. Without the engagement of all segments of our industry, retailers’ individual pledges to source responsibly will not be meaningful. With that in mind, we are working closely with a wide range of both industry and non-industry stakeholders (including the Responsible Jewellery Council* (RJC), the World Diamond Council (WDC), the Diamond Development Initiative (DDI), the U.S. Department of State and non-governmental organizations (NGOs)) to support good practices at every level of the diamond jewelry supply chain.
Jewelers of America was a founding member of the RJC, which recently launched its certification scheme. Jewelers of America also participates in, and supports, initiatives such as the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS), the United Nations-mandated system that regulates rough diamonds in order to stop the trade in conflict diamonds. Jewelers of America also serves on the board of the DDI, which is working to develop standards for the artisanal mining sector.
Diamonds from Zimbabwe
Jewelers of America is deeply concerned about the reported human rights violations in the Marange region of Zimbabwe. Currently, under the KPCS, shipments of rough diamonds from the Marange region of Zimbabwe are suspended and exporting those diamonds is illegal. Jewelers of America strongly supports this position.
Despite the fact that diamond shipments from Marange are currently illegal, there are reports that Marange diamonds are being smuggled out of Zimbabwe with illicit or counterfeit KP certificates, in violation of international and U.S. law. Jewelers of America strongly opposes such illegal exports and believes that anyone who has compromised KP certificates by using them to illegally trade Marange diamonds should be punished to the full extent of the law. We will do what we can, within our spheres of influence, to ensure the law is upheld.
A KP-review mission to the country this past summer indicated significant non-compliance with the minimum requirements of the KPCS. At the Kimberley Process Plenary held in November, the KP implemented a 12-month Joint Working Plan (JWP) that specifically targets exports of rough diamonds from the country’s Marange diamond fields. The suspension of all legal diamond exports is in place until a KP Monitor is appointed. Once the KP Monitor is in place, all legal exports from that region must bear the signature of the Monitor on the KP Certificate.
Jewelers of America fully supports the U.S. Department of State, which has called for the “full and expeditious implementation of the stringent controls” that were agreed upon at the KP Plenary.
We have advised our members to exercise due diligence on this serious matter, urging them to ask their suppliers to provide additional written assurance that the diamonds they supply have genuine KP certificates and are not in violation of the current Marange suspension. Our position is that the flow of diamonds into commerce must follow the KP rules exactly.
Jewelers of America remains actively involved in resolving this complex issue. JA President & CEO Matthew A. Runci recently attended a productive meeting at the U.S. Dept. of State, which included various industry stakeholders and NGO’s, who strategized on how to improve the situation in Zimbabwe, among other important issues. He is also participating in the WDC Kimberley Process Task Force.
Along with the WDC, we stand ready to do our part. However, we believe governments and international agencies have a crucial role to play in ensuring illegal diamonds do not enter the legitimate supply chain. We believe positive engagement between stakeholders, governments and industry will be critical in developing real, long-term solutions. Jewelers of America is recognized as a knowledgeable and valuable resource for legislators and government regulators, as they seek ways to stop minerals tainted by conflict, including diamonds, from entering U.S. commerce.
Jewelers of America remains deeply concerned about reported human rights abuses in the diamond fields of Marange, and we will continue to follow implementation of the working plan closely.
Conflict Diamonds
Diamonds are meant to be a gift of love, and Jewelers of America abhors the way in which some gems have been used to fund conflict. To stop this practice, key industry representatives, including Jewelers of America, worked with governments and NGOs around the world to bring about the KPCS, launched in 2002. KP regulates 99% of the rough diamond trade worldwide, through a system of import/export controls that prevents conflict diamonds from entering the legitimate supply chain. KP is supported and mandated by the United Nations with 75 nations currently participating.
Jewelers of America advises our members to ask their suppliers for written warranties, stating that their diamonds come from Kimberley-certified sources and are not involved in funding conflict. The warranty statement, which was officially recognized at the creation of the KP, reads:
*RESPONSIBLE JEWELLERY COUNCIL The Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) has created a worldwide diamond and gold jewelry supply chain system for companies in all sectors, from mining through to retail. RJC published its core system documents in 2008. These included a requirement that members undertake third-party verification of their responsible practices by independent auditors, as defined by the RJC Code of Practices. RJC’s system was officially launched in 2009. It was developed over an intensive, four-year period and involved wide-ranging and transparent consultation with the industry and its stakeholders. RJC recently completed its Mining Supplement standards, developed over an 18-month period that involved three public comment periods, logging the nearly 400 comments received and the RJC’s responses. Jewelers of America represents the viewpoint of our members within RJC, and many of our members also belong as individual companies to RJC.
Updated February 22, 2010
Jewelers of America members must adhere to our Code of Professional Practices, which includes human rights, social and environmental responsible business practices.
We believe a commitment to responsible diamonds must include suppliers, to ensure that responsible practices are addressed at every point in the supply chain. Without the engagement of all segments of our industry, retailers’ individual pledges to source responsibly will not be meaningful. With that in mind, we are working closely with a wide range of both industry and non-industry stakeholders (including the Responsible Jewellery Council* (RJC), the World Diamond Council (WDC), the Diamond Development Initiative (DDI), the U.S. Department of State and non-governmental organizations (NGOs)) to support good practices at every level of the diamond jewelry supply chain.
Jewelers of America was a founding member of the RJC, which recently launched its certification scheme. Jewelers of America also participates in, and supports, initiatives such as the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS), the United Nations-mandated system that regulates rough diamonds in order to stop the trade in conflict diamonds. Jewelers of America also serves on the board of the DDI, which is working to develop standards for the artisanal mining sector.
Diamonds from Zimbabwe
Jewelers of America is deeply concerned about the reported human rights violations in the Marange region of Zimbabwe. Currently, under the KPCS, shipments of rough diamonds from the Marange region of Zimbabwe are suspended and exporting those diamonds is illegal. Jewelers of America strongly supports this position.
Despite the fact that diamond shipments from Marange are currently illegal, there are reports that Marange diamonds are being smuggled out of Zimbabwe with illicit or counterfeit KP certificates, in violation of international and U.S. law. Jewelers of America strongly opposes such illegal exports and believes that anyone who has compromised KP certificates by using them to illegally trade Marange diamonds should be punished to the full extent of the law. We will do what we can, within our spheres of influence, to ensure the law is upheld.
A KP-review mission to the country this past summer indicated significant non-compliance with the minimum requirements of the KPCS. At the Kimberley Process Plenary held in November, the KP implemented a 12-month Joint Working Plan (JWP) that specifically targets exports of rough diamonds from the country’s Marange diamond fields. The suspension of all legal diamond exports is in place until a KP Monitor is appointed. Once the KP Monitor is in place, all legal exports from that region must bear the signature of the Monitor on the KP Certificate.
Jewelers of America fully supports the U.S. Department of State, which has called for the “full and expeditious implementation of the stringent controls” that were agreed upon at the KP Plenary.
We have advised our members to exercise due diligence on this serious matter, urging them to ask their suppliers to provide additional written assurance that the diamonds they supply have genuine KP certificates and are not in violation of the current Marange suspension. Our position is that the flow of diamonds into commerce must follow the KP rules exactly.
Jewelers of America remains actively involved in resolving this complex issue. JA President & CEO Matthew A. Runci recently attended a productive meeting at the U.S. Dept. of State, which included various industry stakeholders and NGO’s, who strategized on how to improve the situation in Zimbabwe, among other important issues. He is also participating in the WDC Kimberley Process Task Force.
Along with the WDC, we stand ready to do our part. However, we believe governments and international agencies have a crucial role to play in ensuring illegal diamonds do not enter the legitimate supply chain. We believe positive engagement between stakeholders, governments and industry will be critical in developing real, long-term solutions. Jewelers of America is recognized as a knowledgeable and valuable resource for legislators and government regulators, as they seek ways to stop minerals tainted by conflict, including diamonds, from entering U.S. commerce.
Jewelers of America remains deeply concerned about reported human rights abuses in the diamond fields of Marange, and we will continue to follow implementation of the working plan closely.
Conflict Diamonds
Diamonds are meant to be a gift of love, and Jewelers of America abhors the way in which some gems have been used to fund conflict. To stop this practice, key industry representatives, including Jewelers of America, worked with governments and NGOs around the world to bring about the KPCS, launched in 2002. KP regulates 99% of the rough diamond trade worldwide, through a system of import/export controls that prevents conflict diamonds from entering the legitimate supply chain. KP is supported and mandated by the United Nations with 75 nations currently participating.
Jewelers of America advises our members to ask their suppliers for written warranties, stating that their diamonds come from Kimberley-certified sources and are not involved in funding conflict. The warranty statement, which was officially recognized at the creation of the KP, reads:
“The diamonds herein invoiced have been purchased from legitimate sources not involved in funding conflict and in compliance with United Nations Resolutions. The seller hereby guarantees that these diamonds are conflict free, based on personal knowledge and/or written guarantees provided by the suppliers of these diamonds.”
*RESPONSIBLE JEWELLERY COUNCIL The Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) has created a worldwide diamond and gold jewelry supply chain system for companies in all sectors, from mining through to retail. RJC published its core system documents in 2008. These included a requirement that members undertake third-party verification of their responsible practices by independent auditors, as defined by the RJC Code of Practices. RJC’s system was officially launched in 2009. It was developed over an intensive, four-year period and involved wide-ranging and transparent consultation with the industry and its stakeholders. RJC recently completed its Mining Supplement standards, developed over an 18-month period that involved three public comment periods, logging the nearly 400 comments received and the RJC’s responses. Jewelers of America represents the viewpoint of our members within RJC, and many of our members also belong as individual companies to RJC.
Updated February 22, 2010