Code of Professional Practices

Jewelers of America requires its members – jewelry retailers and suppliers across the jewelry supply chain – to commit annually to the following professional practices for their day-to-day business operations as a condition of membership. This commitment to high ethical practices ensures confidence in buying fine jewelry and sets the standard for the industry at-large.

JA Members commit to the Code of Professional Practices annually, endorsing the standards in theory and practice. This Code is consistent with the principles of the Responsible Jewellery Council, which was co-founded by Jewelers of America in 2005.

Ethical Practices

• We will conform to all applicable law in the jurisdictions where we operate.
• We will conduct our business with honesty, sincerity, truthfulness, integrity and transparency.
• We will not engage in bribery and/or corruption. We will work to protect the industry and our clients against fraud, misrepresentation and unethical business practices.
• We will not tolerate money laundering and/or financing of terrorism. If applicable to our business, we will have an anti-money laundering (AML) program in place to fully comply with the USA Patriot Act.
• We will make every effort to ensure that we do not deal in the flow of conflict diamonds. We will fully comply with the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme and the World Diamond Council System of Warranties.
• We will fully and accurately disclose the material characteristics of the products and merchandise we sell.
• We will take reasonable measures to ensure the physical integrity and security of product shipments.
• We will respect commercial confidentiality and the data privacy of our employees, business partners and customers.
• We will strive to continuously improve our professionalism and expertise, as individuals and as a company.

Social & Human Rights Practices

• We will respect the fundamental human rights of all our employees, business partners and customers.
• We will conform to all applicable laws related to labor practices with regard to workers’ rights and protections.
• We are committed to high standards of health and safety in our business.
• We will not discriminate against employees in accordance with applicable law.
• We will prohibit the use of degrading treatment, harassment, abuse, coercion or intimidation in any form in our business.
• We will adhere to all applicable laws related to working hours and compensation.
• We will strive to be good citizens and contribute to the communities in which we do business.
• We will recognize and respect the rights of all indigenous peoples, and the value of their traditional, cultural and social heritage.

Environmental Practices

• We will strive to conduct our business in an environmentally responsible manner.
• We will strive to manage our environmental footprint by eliminating or minimizing negative environmental impacts.
• We will strive to ensure the efficiency of our business operations by managing our use of resources and energy.