ALROSA, the world leader in diamond mining, has become a member of the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) since August 11, 2016.
The Responsible Jewellery Council is an international not-for-profit organization, which focuses on enhancing consumer confidence in the jewellery industry and promoting of responsible business practices. Aiming at this goal, RJC has developed a proprietary Certification System, based on the Code of Practices. Each of the RJC members has to undergo an independent audit, covering not only standard finance and legal compliance issues, but also ethical business aspects, such as anti-corruption measures, human rights, decent labor conditions, social responsibility programs, protection of the environment.
To date, the RJC includes more than 800 companies representing various sectors of the diamond industry. Apart from ALROSA, RJC Membership includes well-known diamond mining companies such as De Beers, Dominion Diamond Corporation, Rio Tinto and Lucara Diamond.
“Consumers around the world are giving great importance to the origin of diamonds in jewellery. We believe it is important to demonstrate to the consumer that diamond mining is a socially responsible business that creates jobs, supports local communities and cares about the environment. ALROSA has always adhered to high standards of corporate social responsibility and is ready to prove it in the audit process,” said Andrey Polyakov, ALROSA Vice President.
“We are pleased to welcome ALROSA to the RJC and delighted to see the enthusiasm of the company to demonstrate its business transparency and its compliance with international best practices. RJC Membership and the resulting Certification of ALROSA against the RJC Code of Practices, will be further recognition of the diamond industry’s efforts to adhere to the highest standards of responsible business,” – noted Andrew Bone, the RJC Executive Director.
RJC Membership was approved by the shareholders of ALROSA at its recent annual general meeting. In accordance with the procedure, within two years ALROSA will undergo an independent audit of its business operation to obtain an RJC certification.
About RJC:
The Responsible Jewellery Council is an international not-for-profit standards and certification organisation. It has more than 800 Member companies that span the jewellery supply chain from mine to retail. RJC Members commit to and are independently audited against the RJC Code of Practices – an international standard on responsible business practices for diamonds, gold and platinum group metals. The Code of Practices addresses human rights, labour rights, environmental impact, mining practices, product disclosure and many more important topics in the jewellery supply chain. RJC also works with multi-stakeholder initiatives on responsible sourcing and supply chain due diligence. The RJC’s Chain-of-Custody Certification for precious metals supports these initiatives and can be used as a tool to deliver broader Member and stakeholder benefit.
The RJC is a Full Member of the ISEAL Alliance – the global association for sustainability standards. For more information on RJC Members, Certification, and Standards please visit www.responsiblejewellery.com.
PJSC ALROSA, the world leader in diamond mining, is engaged in diamond exploration and mining in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Arkhangelsk region and Africa. Following the results of 2015, ALROSA Group maintained its leading position in rough diamond mining at the level of 38.3 million carats, the Company’s market capitalization exceeded RUB 412 billion.
