New RJC standard for lab-grown materials

Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC), the world’s leading standard-setting organisation for the global jewellery and watch industry with 1,500 member companies in 71 countries, announced that it will develop a standard for laboratory-grown materials (LGMs) to establish best practice, including the requirement for full disclosure, for such materials when used in jewellery products.
The RJC LGM standard will include laboratory-grown stones and will be separate from the RJC Code of Practices in recognition that laboratory-grown products carry a different risk profile from natural products. The standard will be available for companies dealing in LGMs.
To ensure that the new standard receives the most robust review before it is finalised, the RJC will follow its respected and well-established transparent public consultation procedure with all stakeholders, following the ISEAL Standard-Setting Code of Good Practice. The consultation process will be managed by RJC’s multi-stakeholder Standards Committee. 
Iris Van der Veken, Executive Director of RJC, said: “Setting a standard for LGMs is an important strategic initiative by RJC, underlining our commitment to ensure that all jewellery is responsibly sourced, manufactured and marketed. It is all about consumer confidence. This standard will provide a clear robust framework not only for manufacturers and retailers, but also for reassuring customers that the manufacturers and sellers of LGMs follow rigorous processes that ensure the credibility and transparency of their operations.”
David Bouffard, Chair of RJC, said: “RJC was founded to promote global best practices for the jewellery and watch industry. With the increasing consumer awareness of LGMs, it is imperative that we set these standards to ensure that all laboratory-grown diamonds and gemstones are responsibly manufactured, sourced and sold, and that consumer confidence can be maintained through the application of a clear and consistent approach for businesses dealing with LGMs. As a global standards organization for the industry, we are driving the new initiative through a transparent process with all stakeholders to develop the framework.”

Alex Shishlo for Rough&Polished