(IDEX Online News) – The Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) is to hold a seminar at the Hong Kong International Jewellery Show on March 7 entitled How Responsible Sourcing can enhance your business in major markets.

 

The event is aimed at Hong Kong and Chinese manufacturers and retailers, RJC members, key industry stakeholders and prospective members and comes as “conflict minerals legislation and a growing focus on corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the US and EU is driving increasing due diligence towards manufacturers in the jewelry supply chain,” the RJC said.

 

The seminar aims to “provide valuable insight into how the RJC certification program can help maintain and grow Hong Kong and Chinese businesses in the US and European markets”. It will be presented by Catherine Sproule, RJC’s Interim CEO, Charles Chaussepied, Piaget’s Director of Corporate Affairs, and David Bouffard, Signet Vice President of Corporate Affairs, Signet Jewelers Ltd., and co-chair of the RJC Standards Committee.

 

“Participants will learn how Hong Kong and Chinese companies can comply with USA/EU legislation, and how the RJC’s Certification program can provide customers with the assurance they need to source with confidence,” the RJC said in a statement.

 

Bouffard will explain a new Signet initiative that further strengthens its commitment to supply chain best practice and which is expected to result in increased membership of RJC from its supply chain over time. 

 

“The RJC’s Code of Practices (COP) relaunched in 2013 forms a central part of that commitment. A new provision on Provenance Claims in the COP has been designed to align with other industry initiatives, such as the Signet Responsible Sourcing Protocol (SRSP), thus creating operational efficiencies.”

 

Chaussepied will describe how Piaget and the 18 brand members of the Richemont group are collaborating with the RJC to build an ethical and responsible supply chain. The project, which is due for completion at the end of 2014, involves all the group’s suppliers of precious stones, gold,

components and other elements.