The Jewellery Ethics Committee, an initiative launched in 2009 in the UK,  has found the support and backing of major trade association, it was recently announced, in an effort by industry leaders from the major trade associations and buying groups in the U.K. and Ireland to take a lead on issues of ethics and corporate social responsibility across the jewellery industry.

 At an event organised by JEC-UK at the Goldsmiths’ Centre on  October 2, the chair of the committee, Vivien Johnston, announced that the Houlden Group, the Company of Master Jewellers (CMJ) and Retail Jewellers of Ireland (RJI) will work alongside the National Association of Goldsmiths (NAG), British Jewellers’ Association (BJA) and the Gemmological Association of Great Britain (Gem-A), in supporting the work undertaken by the JEC-UK. 

RJI's president, Alison Browne, commented, “Ethical issues are important to our members and we welcome the opportunity to share our retailer’s experiences and address the issues collectively. I was interested to learn from the JEC Gold Paper that up to 90 per cent of U.K. gold is recycled and much of that is subject to self-regulation. “

Holden Group’s Helen Haddow, echoing the sentiment said, "The JEC has made significant development toward educating all aspects of the industry, including the supply chain, with their protocols and procedures.  These practical solutions allow the different sectors within the jewellery industry to contribute toward the responsible sourcing of product, which we at the Houlden Group fully support.”

An interim report on the JEC Diamond Paper was also released at the event. The full paper, to be released in 2015, will give retailers, manufacturers and suppliers the tools they need to understand diamond supply chain in the U.K. and how they can best position their business to ensure they are acting as ethically as possible. The interim report will be available to download from the BJA, NAG and Gem-A websites, as well as the JEC-UK website at: www.jec-uk.com.