Rubel & Ménasché, the well-known Paris-based diamond company, has become an important contributor to the Diamond Development Initiative International.
More than a million African artisanal diamond diggers and their families live and work in absolute poverty, outside the formal economy, in countries struggling to recover from the ravages of war. The Diamond Development Initiative International (DDII) is a unique effort to address their problems, bringing NGOs, governments and the private sector together in a common effort that aims to ensure that diamonds are an engine for development.
“We are extremely pleased with the support and confidence that Rubel & Ménasché is showing in our work,” said DDI’s Executive Director, Dorothée Gizenga. “This is an example of how an important member of the diamond industry can make a connection between the showroom and those at the production end of the pipeline. This contribution will help immensely with the work DDI is doing to bring artisanal diamond diggers into the formal economy where they can earn a fair income under decent working conditions.”
“We are proud to “walk the line in the name of the others” who can’t, and this is what Corporate and Social Responsibility mean to us. Reaching out to the scale-mining is a way to re-draw the almost invisible line that connects us all along the Diamond Pipeline. Join us in supporting DDI!” said Stephan Wolzok.
Rubel & Ménasché, a member of the Dali Group, has been supplying the jewelry houses of Place Vendôme with high-end small goods for over 50 years. The company has been granted European Commission “Authorized Economic Operator” (AEO) status by the government of France, which means that it meets EC standards in respect of customs compliance, record-keeping, financial solvency, security and safety standards. Rubel & Ménasché was one of the first companies to be certified by the Responsible Jewellery Council and the company is a DTC Sightholder.
Alex Shishlo, Editor in Chief of the European Bureau, Rough&Polished
