code of practices standard 2019 (cop)

The COP provides a common standard for ethical, social, human rights and environmental practices

goals

The COP defines the requirements for establishing responsible business practices throughout the jewellery supply chain, from mine to retail

The COP is made up of 42 provisions that are specifically designed for companies to fulfil
six broad objectives:

how it works

The COP can be applied to any size of business, and its scope includes all sectors of the gold, silver,
PGM, diamond and coloured gemstone jewellery supply chain

To achieve RJC Certified Member status is a major milestone in your sustainability journey. It demonstrates your commitment to responsible jewellery and promotes trust in the watch and jewellery supply chain. RJC Commercial Members who achieve Code of Practices 2019 Standards certification are permitted to display the official RJC Certified Member logo. Members have two years to achieve Certified status and we’re here to support you every step of the way.

When you are ready, schedule your audit with an RJC accredited auditor.

 

Your auditor will share their findings with you. Any non-conformances (NC) will be discussed and you will be required to develop a Corrective Action Plan (CAP).

Minor NC: 3 year certification awarded
Major NC: 1 year certification awarded

 

Congratulations!

You are an RJC Certified Commercial Member. You can now use the official RJC Certified logo on all your communications.

If required, some members may receive a mid-term review to assess your progress. This will be discussed with you during your audit report.

Schedule your re-certification audit with an RJC accredited auditor.

Re-certification is required prior to the expiry of your current certification but no more than four months in advance. To qualify for continuous certification with no gaps between certifications, members must ensure that their re-certification audit (on-site componenet) is completed within 4 months prior to the expiry of their previous certification.

Members who complete their re-certification audit early, (more than 4 months before the expiry of their previous certification), will have their new certification issued on the day it is approved by RJC. This may result in early expiration of their previous certification.

Members who complete their re-certification late (anytime after the expiry of their previous certification), will have their new certification issued on the day it is approved by RJC, resulting in a gap between certifications cycles.

Member certification validity dates are published on our website. Search the RJC member register.

Young couple looking at jewelry in Hong-Kong

download centre

Dive deeper into the COP standard

Library of standards, guidance, toolkits and handbooks to help you achieve your RJC certification.

ENGLISH

Standard - Code of Practices 2019

Guidance - Code of Practices 2019

RJC Supply Chains Guidance – 25 March 2022

Self-assessment - Code of Practices 2019

Assessment Manual (2020)

Assessment Manual (2019)

Risk-assessment Toolkit

Human Rights Due Diligence

Reporting Templates

italian

Guida - Codice di Procedura 2019

Guida Practica di Autovalutazione RJC

french

Guide relatif au - Code des Pratiques

Classeur d'auto-évaluation du RJC

german

Standard - Verhaltenskodex des RJC

RJC Leitfaden zur Selbstbewertung

spanish

Estándar - Código de Prácticas

Documento de Orientación - Código de Prácticas

Guía de autoevaluación del RJC

development

Catch up on revisions and changes

Regular reviews of our standards ensures they remain fit for purpose. The RJC Code of Practices was revised in 2019, its next revision started 2024. The RJC Chain-of-Custody standard was revised in 2017. Its next revision was due in 2022, and is currently underway.