RJC Appoints New Co-Chairs of Standards Committee

By Rob Bates | December 12, 2025

The Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) has appointed two new co-chairs of its standards committee: Sara Yood (pictured, left), president and CEO of the Jewelers Vigilance Committee, and Eduard Stefanescu, sustainability manager at C.Hafner, the German precious metals company.

RJC’s standards committee plays a central role in developing and maintaining the group’s code of practices, chain of custody, and lab-grown material standards.

Yood and Stefanescu begin as committee co-chairs on Jan. 1, taking over from Purvi Shah, who will become RJC’s executive director, and Ainsley Butler, global head of programs for the nonprofit Building Markets.

Yood, who has led the Jewelers Vigilance Committee since 2024, said in a statement that she was excited to review the RJC policy documents.

“Not everyone would be excited to review and revise such a dense text, but I find the process invigorating,” she said.

Stefanescu said in the same statement that his goal is to “help RJC remain the front-runner in developing standards and guidance that embed sustainability, ESG principles, transparency, and responsible supply chains—while encouraging collaboration and constructive dialogue across the industry.”

(Photos courtesy of RJC)