Industry Unveils Colored-Gem Resource Platform

RAPAPORT... The Coloured Gemstones Working Group (CGWG) has launched a platform that will provide free resources on sustainability and other issues to all those who work with colored gems.CGWG was started by jewelry retailers Chopard, Kering, LVMH, Richemont, Swarovski, and Tiffany & Co., as well as colored-gemstone miners Gemfields and Muzo, with the goal of creating positive change in the industry, CGWG said last week. The Gemstones and Jewellery Community Platform includes guides to help businesses learn more about responsible sourcing, due diligence, human rights, labor rights and environmental protection, based on Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) and World Jewellery Confederation (CIBJO) standards. It also provides self-assessment tools that can help businesses dealing in colored gemstones gain a deeper understanding of where they are successful, or improving in these efforts. Businesses can collaborate with their suppliers and customers through the platform's community section."In the context of colored gemstones, which are often mined in remote areas by artisanal and small-scale miners and traded on the other side of the world in international trading centers, responsible sourcing is particularly complex," CGWG said. "In line with the principles of engagement and collaboration, the platform features...a step-by-step due-diligence tool, which all businesses can use to do their own part towards building a transparent and traceable supply chain."Image: Rubies from Gemfields' Montepuez mine in Mozambique. (Gemfields)