Chris Botha, operations manager jewellery division at Palloys, said “This is a significant event for Palloys and more broadly the Australian jewellery industry. Palloys’ certification evidences our commitment to responsible and environmentally-friendly jewellery sourcing and production and the increasing emphasis on chain of custody certification.”
Botha also explained that metal used in Palloys production is sourced from ABC Refinery, the only independent Australian refinery certified by the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) and Shanghai Gold Exchange (SGE).
“RJC accreditation is not only an acknowledgement of our jewellery manufacturing processes – it’s also an acknowledgement of the Pallion bullion division. The metal is fully compliant with the LBMA Responsible Gold Guidance and the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict Affected and High Risk Areas,” he said.
Ethical and environmentally sustainable practices have become a growing focus in the casting and refining industry, as reported by Jeweller.
The RJC is a not-for-profit international organisation that independently audits companies against its own rigorous Code of Practices for the responsible handling of diamonds, gold and platinum group metals.
These standards cover areas including human rights, labour rights, environmental impact, mining practices, product disclosure and other supply chain elements.
It has more than 1,100 members worldwide, covering the jewellery supply chain from mine to retail. Iris Van Der Veken took over as executive director at the end of March this year, following the resignation of previous head Andrew Bone.
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