Responsible Jewellery Council Membership
From mine to retail, one standard.
Since June 2026, COLDFRAME has been a member of the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC), the international standard-setting organization for the jewelry and watch industry.
What the RJC does
The RJC sets the international standard for responsible business practices in the jewelry and watch industry, and certifies the companies that meet it through independent third-party audits. Membership does not end at joining. Commercial Members must complete a certification audit by an RJC-approved certification body within 18 months of joining, and achieve certification within two years.
The RJC was founded in 2005 by 14 companies and organizations to create one standard for the entire industry. Its founding members include Cartier, Tiffany & Co., De Beers, Rio Tinto and CIBJO, the World Jewellery Confederation. Brands, mining companies and industry bodies built the standard together from the start. The RJC is based in London.
Today more than 2,100 companies in 74 countries are members, spanning every stage of the supply chain from mining and refining to gemstone cutting, manufacturing and retail. Maisons such as Cartier, Tiffany & Co., Van Cleef & Arpels, Bulgari, Chanel and Chopard are RJC-certified members.
The RJC is an ISEAL Code Compliant Member, the same status held by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and Fairtrade International. This means the way it sets standards and audits companies follows international good practice. The RJC has participated in the UN Global Compact since 2009, and since the 2019 revision of its Code, its supply chain due diligence requirements have been aligned with the OECD Due Diligence Guidance.
The Code of Practices
At the core of the RJC is its Code of Practices (COP). First introduced in 2009 and revised three times since, the current COP 2024 has been in effect since January 2025. Its 45 provisions define what responsible business means for companies working with gold, silver, platinum group metals, diamonds and colored gemstones:
- Business ethics, management systems and grievance mechanisms
- Human rights due diligence aligned with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights
- Supply chain due diligence, including checks on materials from conflict-affected and high-risk areas and know-your-counterparty procedures
- Labor rights, health and safety
- Environmental management, including reporting on waste and greenhouse gas emissions (Scope 1 and 2)
- Accurate product disclosure and no misleading marketing
The COP references international frameworks including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the ILO principles, the UN Global Compact and the Sustainable Development Goals.
How certification works
RJC certification applies to a company, not to individual products. A member completes a self-assessment and is then audited by an independent, RJC-approved certification body. Nonconformities are addressed through a corrective action plan, and critical or major issues must be resolved before a certificate is issued. Certified members undergo a surveillance audit 12 to 18 months after certification and recertify every three years.
What's next for COLDFRAME
As a Member of the RJC, COLDFRAME has made a commitment at an executive level to uphold the RJC's mission, and aims to attain RJC certification against the Code of Practices by June 2028. We will share each step here.
Membership: Commercial Member
Category: Jewellery and watch manufacturer and/or wholesaler
Joined: June 2026
Certification target: June 2028
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