Jewelers of America has developed a self-assessment checklist to help its members meet their responsibilities under the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme and the World Diamond Council System of Warranties.

This self-assessment tool, which is available in the “members only” section of www.jewelers.org, is designed to help JA members and their staffs evaluate their knowledge, policies, and practices regarding conflict diamonds. The checklist serves as a reminder of what policies a JA retail jeweler should have in place and as a self-appraisal of how effectively they are carrying out those policies.

“The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme and the WDC System of Warranties helped stem the flow of conflict diamonds,” said JA President and CEO Matthew Runci.

The checklist asks a series of questions regarding store policies on conflict diamonds and gives three options for answering: “yes,” “somewhat,” and “no.” If a storeowner and their staff members answer “yes” to all the questions, they can be confident that they are upholding their responsibilities as a retail jeweler. If a JA member or staff member checks off an item as “somewhat” or “no,” that represents an opportunity for improvement.

A summary of the conflict diamonds issue and a set of talking points for use with consumers, media, and advocacy groups are also available on the Web site. JA members who are unfamiliar with the issue can read the summary and talking points prior to using the checklist.

JCK