EMERYVILLE, CA--(Marketwired - Jun 27, 2014) - SCS Global Services (SCS), a leader in third-party environmental and sustainability certification, announced its accreditation by the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) to certify member compliance with the RJC "Code of Practices" and "Chain-of-Custody" standards for environmentally and socially responsible practices throughout the diamond, gold and platinum group metals (PGM) jewelry supply chain.
RJC is a not-for-profit standards setting and certification organization with over 490 members spanning the jewelry supply chain from mine to retail. All RJC members must be third-party certified to the RJC Code of Practices, which cover a range of environmental, labor, and human rights issues for diamonds, gold and PGM (platinum, palladium, and rhodium). RJC also administers an optional Chain-of-Custody certification to verify the tracking of responsibly sourced gold and PGM, which it defines as "conflict free," recycled, or previously existing (i.e., grandfathered) sources.
"The Responsible Jewellery Council warmly congratulates SCS Global Services on its accreditation," says Catherine Sproule, RJC's Chief Executive Officer - Interim. "We continue to work to expand the pool of auditors to service RJC's growing membership and are pleased to add SCS to the list of Accredited Auditors."
The scope of the SCS accreditation enables the company to provide certification services for US and Canada-based companies involved in gold refining, trading, and hedging; PGM trading and hedging; diamond trading; jewelry manufacturing; and jewelry wholesale and retail.
As in other sectors, businesses throughout the jewelry supply chain have come under increased scrutiny from consumers, regulators, and stakeholders for how they manage environmental, social, and human rights issues associated with the industry. This has been largely driven by public awareness of so-called "blood diamonds" produced under slave-like conditions in war-torn parts of Africa, mercury and cyanide pollution associated with gold mining activities around the world, and "conflict minerals" derived from areas of armed conflict and known human rights abuses, most notably in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and surrounding countries.
"SCS brings decades of experience to the RJC process along with a commitment to accountability and supply chain transparency," said Alicia Godlove, Manager of Materials Services for SCS. "We are pleased to add RJC certification to the list of certification services that we offer the jewelry industry."