AuctionsOct 05, 2026
The Star Cats of the Sandy Lerner AuctionThese jewels stood out at Bonhams’ sale of the cat-loving tech entrepreneur’s collection of objects depicting the feline form.
SourcingFeb 19, 2016
Signet’s Plan for Tracing its Diamond Sourcing
The world’s largest retailer of diamond jewelry has launched an ambitious initiative that, over time, aims to assure that the millions of diamonds it buys every year come from identified sources.
Signet’s David Bouffard (left) and Erik Jens, global head of diamond and jewelry clients for ABN Amro bank, at the press conference held Tuesday afternoon announcing Signet’s new sourcing protocol for diamonds. (Photo credit: David Stewart Brown)
New York--Signet Jewelers Ltd. has launched an ambitious initiative that, over time, aims to assure that the millions of diamonds it buys every year come from identified sources.
Announced at press conference held Tuesday at Jewelers of America’s headquarters in New York, the Signet Responsible Sourcing Protocol for Diamonds builds on existing diamond industry standards including the Kimberley Process, the U.N. Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, and the OECD’s Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains to have the retailer’s diamond suppliers map their supply chains more thoroughly than ever.
It’s an initiative that, at its root, addresses the U.S. government’s desire to ensure that consumer goods sold here aren’t tied to human rights abuses, the banking sector’s concerns with transparency in the diamond industry and the younger generations’ desire to know the origin of the products they buy.
“Today’s millennial expectations are very high,” David Bouffard, Signet’s vice president of corporate affairs, said in opening the press conference. “They want to know where the products came from, they want to know who’s made them, they want to understand the journey that the product’s taken as they make a considered purchase like a diamond engagement ring or any piece of diamond jewelry.”
In the protocol’s first year, 2016, the retailer is asking its diamond suppliers to work toward compliance by demonstrating that they are examining their supply chain and determining what proportion of their supply comes from “responsible sources,” Bouffard said.
Signet also expects all its diamond suppliers to join the Responsible Jewellery Council “at the earliest opportunity.”
This initial due diligence will, in turn, tell Signet what percentage of its diamond supply currently is traceable back to the industry’s known diamond producers, De Beers, Alrosa, Rio Tinto and Dominion Diamond, providing it a baseline from which it can map its progress.
By September of this year, Signet expects its suppliers to start classifying all the diamonds they provide to the retailer into one of four categories.
1) Single stone tracking. Individual diamonds supplied by or sourced from “identified and verified” diamond producers such as De Beers, Alrosa, Rio Tinto or Dominion, which mines diamonds in Canada.
2) Parcel tracking. Parcels of diamonds from sources such as those listed above that were not individually tracked but verified to have derived from these producers.
3) Mixed sources. This category allows for the mixing of diamonds deriving from a number
Editors' Picks
Sponsored by
of different sources, with some percentage of the diamonds deriving from identified and verified sources. This category would include melee.
4) Other identified and verified sources. This category applies to diamonds that derive from a producer country or particular mine, originally sourced from companies other than De Beers, Alrosa, Rio Tinto or Dominion. This category includes diamonds mined by artisans.
In 2017, the second year of the protocol, supply chain audits likely will begin.
Bouffard said during the press conference that because Signet is conscious of potential “audit fatigue” among suppliers, it harmonized its audits with those already required by the RJC and De Beers’s Best Practice Principles, or BPP, so they all can be done at the same time.
Tuesday’s announcement raised a number of questions about the implementation of such a system; chief among them were the feasibility of sources reliably reporting the origin of their diamonds and the potential impact the protocol could have on smaller suppliers, particularly in a market where the midstream players already are struggling to remain profitable.
The one manufacturer present at the press conference, Michael Steinmetz of Leo Schachter Diamonds, said while he doesn’t dispute that the fact that there are going to be extra costs involved in implementing the protocol, they haven’t turned out to be significant for his company, although he added that he “can’t speak for those small manufacturers who can’t tell you where their goods are from.”
The speakers at Tuesday’s press conference also reiterated several times that the protocol is a work in progress.
“We don’t pretend that this is the perfect approach,” said John Hall, who worked as a consultant for Signet on the project. “We know it can be improved.”
This is the third sourcing protocol established by Signet.
The other two--for gold and for the “three Ts,” tin, tantalum and tungsten--were established after the federal government passed the Dodd Frank Act and its so-called conflict minerals provision in 2010.
The provision required that all publicly traded companies essentially map their gold supply chains and report to the Securities and Exchange Commission if any of the minerals they use originated in the Democratic Republic of the Congo or one of nine neighboring countries.
Bouffard said Signet did not lose a single supplier in implementing its sourcing protocol for gold.
When asked if he expects the same for diamonds, he said, “We intend to do everything we can (to keep them all) but we’ve got to understand the supply chain better.”
Signet’s entire Responsible Sourcing Protocol for Diamonds is available on SignetJewelers.com. The retailer said all companies involved in the diamond industry are free to adopt the protocol and apply it to their supply chains.
4) Other identified and verified sources. This category applies to diamonds that derive from a producer country or particular mine, originally sourced from companies other than De Beers, Alrosa, Rio Tinto or Dominion. This category includes diamonds mined by artisans.
In 2017, the second year of the protocol, supply chain audits likely will begin.
Bouffard said during the press conference that because Signet is conscious of potential “audit fatigue” among suppliers, it harmonized its audits with those already required by the RJC and De Beers’s Best Practice Principles, or BPP, so they all can be done at the same time.
Tuesday’s announcement raised a number of questions about the implementation of such a system; chief among them were the feasibility of sources reliably reporting the origin of their diamonds and the potential impact the protocol could have on smaller suppliers, particularly in a market where the midstream players already are struggling to remain profitable.
The one manufacturer present at the press conference, Michael Steinmetz of Leo Schachter Diamonds, said while he doesn’t dispute that the fact that there are going to be extra costs involved in implementing the protocol, they haven’t turned out to be significant for his company, although he added that he “can’t speak for those small manufacturers who can’t tell you where their goods are from.”
The speakers at Tuesday’s press conference also reiterated several times that the protocol is a work in progress.
“We don’t pretend that this is the perfect approach,” said John Hall, who worked as a consultant for Signet on the project. “We know it can be improved.”
This is the third sourcing protocol established by Signet.
The other two--for gold and for the “three Ts,” tin, tantalum and tungsten--were established after the federal government passed the Dodd Frank Act and its so-called conflict minerals provision in 2010.
The provision required that all publicly traded companies essentially map their gold supply chains and report to the Securities and Exchange Commission if any of the minerals they use originated in the Democratic Republic of the Congo or one of nine neighboring countries.
Bouffard said Signet did not lose a single supplier in implementing its sourcing protocol for gold.
When asked if he expects the same for diamonds, he said, “We intend to do everything we can (to keep them all) but we’ve got to understand the supply chain better.”
Signet’s entire Responsible Sourcing Protocol for Diamonds is available on SignetJewelers.com. The retailer said all companies involved in the diamond industry are free to adopt the protocol and apply it to their supply chains.
More on Sourcing
The Latest
CollectionsOct 05, 2026
Sorellina Writes Another Love Letter for ‘Postscript’ CollectionThe fine jewelry brand has expanded the collection that debuted at Couture with four new designs based on its most popular styles.
SourcingOct 02, 2026
De Beers, National Geographic Society Renew Okavango Eternal Partnership The partnership, a pledge to protect Africa’s Okavango River Basin, has been extended for an additional five years.
Brought to you by
Meet Gemology’s Next Generation Microscope: GIA® Gemolite® NXT Professional EditionExperience gemstones with greater precision and comfort than ever before.
MajorsOct 02, 2026
Pandora Opens New $150M Manufacturing Facility in VietnamThe new facility, its first outside of Thailand, will boost its manufacturing capacity by 50 percent.
Weekly QuizOct 01, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
TrendsOct 02, 2026
Hearts On Fire Celebrates 30th Anniversary With Heart PendantThe special-edition “Dream” pendant, our Piece of the Week, was created to mark Hearts On Fire’s 30-year milestone with 30 diamonds.
CrimeOct 01, 2026
Police Looking for 4 Suspects in $600K Smash-and-Grab RobberyDubai Jewelers in Springfield, Virginia, was once again the target of an armed robbery.
Brought to you by
Your Piece Could Be the One Editors Talk AboutSubmit your pieces for a chance to win in this year's competition.
SurveysOct 01, 2026
Rolex Ranks Among Most Recommended Brands in US, Survey Says YouGov’s 2026 U.S. Most Recommended Brands report’s out, and a fast-fashion giant is sitting at No. 1 while Rolex is just shy of the top 5.
SourcingOct 01, 2026
Columbia Gem House Opens ‘Cutting Toward Change’ FundraiserProceeds from its jewelry raffle will benefit an organization working in India to combat silicosis, a lung disease affecting stone cutters.
TrendsOct 01, 2026
Carolina Hurricanes’ Championship Ring Reveals Hidden Hockey Puck PendantThe rings, crafted by Jason of Beverly Hills, celebrate the hockey team’s Stanley Cup win with design elements that honor its traditions.
TrendsOct 01, 2026
Amanda’s Style File: October’s Color Range This roundup of birthstone jewelry for October features vibrant tourmalines and opals with personality.
SourcingSep 30, 2026
Botswana’s President, De Beers CEO Say Diamond Demand Is RecoveringPresident Duma Boko spoke at back-to-back events in the city last week, touting Botswana’s stability and the diamond “bounceback.”
CollectionsSep 30, 2026
Oscar Heyman’s Holiday Book Is ‘A Living Archive’ The catalog showcases 112 new, one-of-a-kind pieces amid highlights from the jeweler’s historic archive.
SourcingSep 30, 2026
Gemfields Posts $98.5M Loss, Writes Down Value of Ruby MineIts Montepuez Ruby Mining operation in Mozambique, which is not yielding enough high-quality rubies, has taken a $125 million hit.
SurveysSep 30, 2026
Consumer Confidence Falls to 12-Year Low in SeptemberThose surveyed were worried about the present and the future, with write-in responses mentioning high oil and gas prices.
Events & AwardsSep 30, 2026
Jewelers of America, JA New York to Host Networking EventThe event will take place on the evening of Oct. 26 in New York City.
IndependentsSep 29, 2026
Christy Bromberg, Longtime Gift Buyer for Underwood Jewelers, Dies at 68She is remembered for her joie de vivre, upbeat personality, genuine interest in other people, and love of the Alabama Crimson Tide.
AuctionsSep 29, 2026
Dionne Warwick’s Jewelry Goes Up for AuctionOnline bidding is open now for Julien’s sale of items owned by the “Walk On By” singer, whose final album comes out this fall.
Events & AwardsSep 29, 2026
Matt Stuller to Receive 2027 Gem Award for Lifetime AchievementThe founder and executive chairman of Stuller Inc. is being honored for his impact on the jewelry industry at the 25th annual Gem Awards.
ColumnistsSep 29, 2026
Your Holiday Marketing Has a Bridal Blind SpotDecember is the most popular month to propose, and jewelers need to keep that in mind when planning their holiday marketing.
AuctionsSep 29, 2026
If You Love Cats, This Jewelry Auction Is for YouCat ladies of the jewelry world, unite. Sandy Lerner’s collection of cat jewelry and other objects is going up for auction Wednesday.
CollectionsSep 28, 2026
De Beers London Drops Water-Inspired High Jewelry Collection“Vibrations” features several firsts for De Beers’ high jewelry, including the use of chalcedony and diamonds sourced from artisanal miners.
CollectionsSep 28, 2026
Jessica McCormack Turns to Classic Motif for New CollectionThe “Bows” collection features three interpretations of the bow motif designed with Georgian and Victorian influences.
Events & AwardsSep 28, 2026
Guy Borenstein, Troy Underwood Among the Professionals Honored at AGS Conclave 2026The American Gem Society recognized industry members, one Guild, and a law enforcement official for their contributions to jewelry.
FinancialsSep 28, 2026
Instappraise, Jewelers Mutual Look to Simplify Jewelry InsuranceThrough a new system integration, customers can now receive instant personal jewelry insurance quotes at the time of appraisal.
WatchesSep 25, 2026
Smaller Rolex Watches Showing Strength on Secondary Market, Data ShowsFive of the 10 fastest-appreciating Rolex models on Bob’s Watches were Datejust 31 or Lady Datejust watches.
