Platinum Guild International (PGI) is the newest member of the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC).
The announcement comes about seven months after the RJC voted to include platinum group metals (PGMs) as part of its certification system.
Up until that point, certification was open to all levels of the gold and diamond supply chain, from mine to retail, as well as related trade organizations.
“I am delighted that Platinum Guild International is a new member of the Responsible Jewellery Council,” said RJC chief executive officer (CEO), Michael Rae.
“Platinum group metals were the first new materials added to the RJC system’s original scope of diamonds and gold. We greatly respect PGI’s leading commitment to responsible business practices and we are very pleased about its support for the RJC.”
Under the RJC system, companies must submit to third-party auditing to verify conformance to its Code of Practices (COP).
Current RJC members as of Dec. 31, 2009 must undergo an audit by December 2011, or December 2012 if they have mining facilities. For those joining the council from 2010 onward, an audit must be completed within two years of becoming members.
“RJC members have a universally understood mechanism to demonstrate responsible practices,” said James Courage, PGI’s chief executive officer. “We have joined the RJC because we believe those we work with share these goals and will consider RJC certification an essential step to clearly demonstrate their commitment to responsible business practices.”
