RJC Member Certification
The RJC began full operation of its Member Certification system in December 2009.RJC Member Certification has four important elements:
- The Code of Practices: A set of voluntary standards which lay out the specific requirements of the system;
- Auditor Accreditation: Independent, third party auditors who are accredited as competent to evaluate conformance against the standard;
- Independent Verification: Verification by accredited auditors to provide objective evidence that the requirements of the Code of Practices have been fulfilled;
- RJC Certification: A decision on certification is taken by the RJC according to the results of verification. Certification may be granted for up to three years, after which re-certification will be required.
RJC Member Certification provides evidence of responsible business practices which can be communicated to suppliers, customers and other stakeholders. Each RJC Member’s Certification status can be found on the Member page.
Download a RJC Certification Fact Sheet here.
Download the RJC Certification Core System Documents (2009)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
FAQs on RJC Membership & Member Responsibilities
FAQs on RJC Self Assessment
FAQs on RJC Verification Assessment
FAQs on Auditor Accreditation
FAQs on Current Industry Issues
FAQ’s for India Implementation March 2010
Scope of Application
RJC Member Certification is designed to apply to all sectors of the diamond and/or gold jewellery supply chain, from mining through to retail. It is a condition of RJC membership that all Commercial Members undergo the process of obtaining RJC Certification covering all their relevant Facilities.
Beginning in 2010, companies operating in the Platinum Metals jewellery supply chain have been able to join the RJC. The RJC Code of Practices and supporting documents for RJC Member Certification will be reviewed and expanded to formally include Platinum Metals in 2012. Until this review takes place, RJC Member Certification does not cover Platinum Metals.
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Timelines for Certification
Current RJC Members may begin the Self-Assessments at any time, in preparation for third party auditing.
Current RJC Members as of 31st December 2009 are required to undergo independent verification by December 2011, or December 2012 if they have Mining Facilities.
Companies that join the RJC from 1 January 2010 are required to undergo independent verification within two years of becoming Members.
Core System for RJC Member Certification
The Core System Documents are the essential documents that have been developed to enable Members and Auditors to understand and implement the RJC Member Certification system. They have been designed to accommodate the diverse sizes and types of organisational structures which make up the RJC membership. Extensive multi-stakeholder consultation with participants and stakeholders in the jewellery supply chain has underpinned their development.
Members and Auditors should download these materials to enable their implementation of the RJC Member Certification system. The RJC makes these documents publicly available in the interests of transparency and welcomes feedback as part of its commitment to continual improvement. Revisions to the documents will be posted to this webpage.
The RJC Core System Documents are categorised according to the following hierarchy, and a version of this icon appears on the cover of each formally issued RJC document:.
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Core System Documents - 2009 Versions
In December 2009, the outcomes of the Mining Supplement process were incorporated into the RJC Core System Documents. These revisions were developed through a multi-stakeholder engagement process with Members and stakeholders, over 18 months from May 2008 to November 2009. In addition to 3 public comment periods, a Consultative Panel comprising 15 external stakeholders worked closely with the Standards Committee during June to October 2009. The revisions were approved by the RJC Board on 27 November, 2009. They were publicly released on 17 December, 2009 and are effective from that date.
Download a Summary of the 2009 revision sto the Core System Documents.
2009 Documents: Download the latest versions of the Core System Documents from the table below.
Status |
Notes |
|
Principles and Code of Practice (S001_2009) |
Version 1 released in September 2006. Version 2 released in December 2008. Version 3 released in December 2009. |
The Principles and Code of Practices defines the Council's ethical, social, human rights and environmental commitments for RJC Members. The Code of Practices is the standard against which all Commercial Members of the Council are to be certified. In 2009, the Mining Supplement standards were incorporated into this document. |
Certification Handbook |
Version 1 released in December 2008. Version 2 released in December 2009. |
The Certification Handbook provides an overview of the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) System and the requirements for achieving certification. |
Standards Guidance |
Version 1 released in December 2008. Version 2 released in December 2009. |
The Standards Guidance provides general information and advice for Members and Auditors about the standards in the RJC's Code of Practices. |
Assessment Manual |
Version 1 released in December 2008. Version 2 released in December 2009. |
The Assessment Manual contains instructions for Members and Auditors on how to complete Self Assessments (Members) and Verification Assessments (Auditors). |
Assessment Questions |
Version 1 released in December 2008. Version 2 released in December 2009. |
A set of questions designed to assess a Member’s performance against the Code of Practices and its Provisions. Members and Auditors use the same Assessment Questions. |
| Assessment Workbook – Excel (T006_2009) |
Version 1 released in December 2009. |
The RJC Assessment Workbook (Excel) provides Members with the Assessment Questions (T002_2009) laid out in Excel spreadsheets for the use of Members and Auditors, with additional prompts and guidance on Objective Evidence. The Excel version of the Workbook automatically identifies relevant questions for the industry sectors Members are involved in, and includes a worksheet that compiles a summary of the findings. |
Core system documents – |
Available in December 2009. |
A set of all of the above Core System Documents in one convenient zip file. |
Training – Members and Auditors
Member and Auditor training on the RJC Member Certification System is available by webinar for a range of time zones. Modules have been developed which provide an overview of the RJC system, implementing management systems, carrying out self assessments, preparing for verification assessments, and guidance on key issues for different sectors along the supply chain. The training is presented by Graham Nicholls, Sam Brumale and Anna Leach. Each training session runs for around 90 minutes.
For more information on training, please contact training@responsiblejewellery.com
RJC Complaints Mechanism
The RJC aims to ensure the fair, timely and objective resolution of complaints relating to potential non-conformance with the RJC Member Certification system. The RJC Complaints Mechanism is detailed in a document, downloadable here.
Complaints must be submitted in writing on the RJC Complaints Form – see section B. Initial inquiries can be made to seek guidance on the submission of a complaint.
- By telephone on number: +44 (0)20 7836 6376
- By email addressed to: complaints@responsiblejewellery.com
- By fax addressed to: +44 (0)20 7240 5150
Definitions
The Council uses the following key terms:
- Jewellery: an adornment made of precious metals (including gold) and set with gem stones (including diamonds). Jewellery includes, but is not limited to, bracelets, rings, necklaces and watches.
- Gold: a rare yellow metallic element with the chemical symbol "Au”. It is a mineral with specific hardness of 2.5-3 on the Mohs scale of hardness and the atomic number 79. Gold purity is measured by karat: one karat being 1/24th part by weight of pure gold.
- Diamond: a natural mineral consisting essentially of pure carbon crystallised with a cubic structure in the isometric system. Its hardness on the Mohs scale is 10; its specific gravity is approximately 3.52; it has a refractive index of approximately 2.42 and it can be found in many colours.
- Laboratory-grown/Synthetic diamond: any object or product that has been either partially or wholly crystallised or re-crystallised due to human intervention such that it meets the requirements specified in the definition of Diamond, with the exception of being non-natural.
- Platinum Metals: Precious metallic elements, also known as the Platinum Group, that have similar physical and chemical properties and tend to occur together in the same mineral deposits. Platinum Metals within the scope of the RJC are:
- Rhodium: chemical symbol ‘Rh’, Mohs hardness 6, atomic number 45;
- Palladium: chemical symbol ‘Pd’, Mohs hardness 5, atomic number 46;
- Platinum: chemical symbol ‘Pt’, Mohs hardness 4-4.5, atomic number 78.
Note: The Scope of the RJC Member Certification System includes Gold and Diamonds and Laboratory-grown diamonds. Platinum Metals will be formally added during the review of the RJC standards in 2012.