Responsible Jewellery Council pushes traceable, ethical supply chains across the industry
The jewelry trade is a $300 billion business, but Human Rights Watch says few sellers can prove gold and diamonds are fully traceable.
Nearly 90 million carats of rough diamonds move through a global supply chain that Human Rights Watch says generates over $300 billion in annual revenue. Buyers are asking where gold, diamonds and coloured stones actually came from, and whether anyone along the way can document it.
Why provenance now defines trust
Human Rights Watch’s February 2018 report, The Hidden Cost of Jewelry, put the emotional stakes plainly: bridal jewelry carries unusual weight, and weddings generate about 50% of India’s annual gold demand. The report also said Americans spent nearly $10 billion on jewelry for Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day in 2017.
Human Rights Watch warned that millions of workers in gold and diamond supply chains face dangers that include labor exploitation. By November 2020, it said sourcing had improved but still fell short of international standards, and it linked the COVID-19 pandemic to more children working in some gold and diamond mining areas after families lost livelihoods.
In February 2021, Human Rights Watch urged jewelry and watch companies to strengthen supply-chain safeguards, make sourcing more transparent, and make the traceability claim hold up under scrutiny.
What the Responsible Jewellery Council actually promises
The Responsible Jewellery Council, founded in 2005, sits at the center of that documentation game. Its Code of Practices defines the responsible ethical, human rights, social and environmental practices certified members must follow, and its vision is a responsible worldwide supply chain that builds trust across the global fine jewellery and watch industry.
Its standards stretch from mining to retail and cover diamonds, coloured gemstones, gold, silver and platinum group metals. Certification audits members’ compliance with the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, the joint government, international diamond industry and civil society initiative designed to stem the flow of conflict diamonds, rough diamonds used by rebel movements or their allies to finance conflict.
Traceability has become more sophisticated than a simple certificate on the wall. A 2014 RJC webinar addressed traceability in global supply chains, and a 2018 academic review said due diligence and traceability had moved to the forefront of diamond, coloured stone and pearl conversations because of consumer demand for provenance information, banking requirements and company initiatives. The review identified blockchain, chain of custody and trace elements as increasingly important tools.
What real compliance looks like on the market
IWC Schaffhausen
IWC Schaffhausen gave the market a clear example on March 4, 2021, when it announced Chain-of-Custody certification from the RJC. The company said the gold and platinum in its supply chain were fully traceable and responsibly sourced.
Signet Jewelers and Harry Winston
Signet Jewelers places responsible sourcing at the center of its business through a Responsible Sourcing Protocol, updated in July 2021 and August 2022.
Harry Winston is a certified member of the RJC and complies with the Kimberley Process.
Hermès and the luxury-house view
Hermès’ September 2025 compliance report describes the RJC as an international non-profit bringing together companies across the jewelry, watchmaking and gemstone supply chain. It identifies the RJC Code of Practices and Chain of Custody standards as central to that framework.
Why coloured gemstones demand extra scrutiny
Diamonds are not the only stones that need paperwork. Colored gemstones often move through more fragmented supply chains, which makes them harder to track from mine to mount. A December 15, 2013 report prepared for Richemont and the RJC found that retailer demand for coloured stones had risen over the previous decade, driven by markets in Arab countries, India, China, the United States and Europe. Demand for ethical coloured gemstones was also increasing.
Fairmined’s partnership with Tracemark is aimed at ensuring traceability in jewelry pieces, while the RJC’s 2024 Chain of Custody Standard recognizes eligible mined material, eligible recycled material and eligible legacied material.
How to separate credible ethics from marketing gloss
When a jeweler says a piece is ethical, the proof should be specific. A serious claim usually includes at least one of these markers:
- A named standard, such as the RJC Code of Practices or Chain of Custody certification
- A clear sourcing framework for diamonds, gold, coloured gemstones or platinum group metals
- Third-party audit language, not just self-description
- A statement that distinguishes mined, recycled and older legacied material
- Evidence that the seller can explain provenance without retreating into vague phrases like “responsibly sourced”
Repairability belongs in the same conversation: a ring that can be resized, a clasp that can be repaired, or a setting that can be serviced after years of wear.
Global Witness argues that the global minerals trade has funded abuses and armed conflict for decades and urges companies to check supply chains and mitigate harms.
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