Global Certification Leader SCS Global Services Brings Sustainability Solutions To Las Vegas
SCS Global Services (SCS), a leader in third-party environmental and sustainability certification, auditing, testing, and standards, will launch its certification program for the newly released SCS-007 Sustainability Rated Diamonds Standard for Trial Use at the JCK Show this week in Las Vegas.
SCS-007 Sustainability Rated Diamonds is the first of four standards planned for launch in the jewelry sector. The standards will also cover colored gemstones, precious metals, and more.
The SCS-007 Standard establishes a uniform basis for independently assessing and certifying the environmentally and socially responsible production and handling of all diamonds, whether mined or laboratory grown, and for making business and consumer-facing claims for such diamonds. Among its key features, the Standard spells out extensive environmental, social and governance (ESG) requirements, confirms producer efforts to achieve climate neutrality as well as net zero life cycle impacts, and introduces a comprehensive set of checks and balances to accurately track certified diamonds through the entire chain of custody, providing a greater-than-99% level of origin assurance. Sustainability investments round out the requirements, benefitting artisanal and small-scale miners (ASM) and other vulnerable communities.
SCS programs span a cross-section of industries, including natural resource management, green building, product manufacturing, food and agriculture, supply chains, climate mitigation, and more. SCS has been providing certification services to the jewelry sector for over a decade, working with more than one hundred well-known manufacturers, refiners, and retailers on other applicable certifications, such as the Responsible Jewellery Council, SCS Recycled Content, SCS Responsible Source, and FairminedTM Gold and Silver, among others.
“We are excited to have the opportunity to educate the industry on this groundbreaking new standard, and the many ways it will highlight sustainability leadership in this sector,” says Brandee Dallow, SCS vice president of sustainability for luxury goods. “From working with designers and manufacturers to certify their raw materials, to retailers in a competitive marketplace, there are countless ways in which SCS can assist the industry to reach the environmental and socially responsible benchmarks consumers are demanding.”
Stanley Mathuram, executive vice president of SCS Global, added, “Our SCS 007 certification program will assist the jewelry industry by providing the added layer of social and environmental assurance that consumers are looking for when purchasing a diamond. Our long-term goal is to meet the needs of both the jewelry community and the end consumer when it comes to sustainability certification of all diamonds, colored gemstones and precious metals.”
In addition to diamond producers, accreditation under the Standard is available to chain-of-custody participants interested in marketing certified diamonds, including cutters, polishers, jewelry manufacturers, and recycled diamond handlers, as well as diamond retailers who sell certified diamonds to end consumers. Empirical testing and grading laboratories conducting diamond origin testing in accordance with the Standard’s origin traceability provisions are also eligible for accreditation.
The SCS-007 Sustainability Rated Diamonds was developed under a multi-stakeholder consensus process, headed up by SCS Global Services’ sister organization, SCS Standards Development, a non-profit committed to the development of standards that advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Its standards are developed in alignment with best practices and guidelines provided by internationally recognized bodies to ensure a robust, transparent and collaborative approach.
At the show, the SCS team will meet with businesses across the supply chain, from mine to finger, showcasing the newly released standard and discussing its practical implementation.
For more information, visit www.scsglobalservices.com or to make an appointment in Las Vegas, contact Brandee Dallow, [email protected].