The Responsible Jewellery Council
announced STR Responsible Sourcing as the first auditing firm accredited by RJC
to carry out verifications of members’ business practices. The announcement was
made at RJC’s press conference yesterday at JCK Las Vegas.

“We anticipate that STR Responsible
Sourcing will be the first of many accredited auditors offering competitive
professional services to RJC members for the certification of members by the
RJC System,” said Michael Rae, RJC’s chief executive officer. “RJC has received
a number of auditor accreditation applications from other firms and these are
currently being assessed under the RJC’s accreditation process. RJC will
announce additional accredited auditing firms in the coming weeks.”

STR Responsible Sourcing works with
over 6,000 manufacturers, importers, raw materials suppliers, and retailers
around the globe assessing the quality, safety, and social standards of their
products and systems.

“A number of RJC members are ready
to hire accredited auditors to conduct the independent third-party verification
process required by the RJC System. RJC looks forward to being able to announce
the first RJC certified members this year,” said Rae.

JCK