As the fashion industry continues to edge toward total transparency around its sustainability efforts, legacy jewellery brand Tiffany & Co. announced on Wednesday it too is working to establish a new standard.
The luxury brand says it will now share the countries of origin, or the provenance, of its newly, individually registered diamonds 0.18 carats and larger. By 2020, Tiffany & Co. will be able to share the craftsmanship journey behind the products with its Diamond Source Initiative. Customers will be able to trace the registered diamonds using a unique "T & Co" serial number that's etched into the ring with a laser — invisible to the naked eye, but providing info specific to the rock. According to the company's execs, it's no longer enough for diamonds to only be "conflict-free."
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“Tiffany & Co. has long been committed to diamond traceability and going above and beyond industry norms to promote the protection of the environment and human rights,” Anisa Kamadoli Costa, Tiffany & Co.'s chief sustainability officer, said in a press release. “A transparent journey of responsible sourcing reflects the many positive and far reaching benefits along every step of the diamond supply chain.”
Beginning Wednesday, the sourcing info will be merchandised along with the diamonds in the Love & Engagement cases in Tiffany stores all over the world. A release notes that a few diamonds will have their provenance clearly displayed. In the first half of the year, Tiffany will roll out the provenances for all of their diamonds, as well other specificities typically not found in the industry's lab reports.
“Diamonds, formed up to 3 billion years ago and brought to the earth’s surface by a miracle of nature, are symbols of the most important moments in our lives. There should be nothing opaque about Tiffany diamonds,” Alessandro Bogliolo, chief executive officer, Tiffany & Co., said in a press release. “Our clients want and deserve to know where their most valuable, most cherished diamond jewellery is from, and how it came to be.”