De Beers Exec Honored for Responsible Practices

RAPAPORT… Initiatives in Art and Culture (IAC) will present Feriel
Zerouki with its award for leadership in responsible practice in jewelry.

The honor is bestowed annually on members of the jewelry
industry, or part of a jewelry-focused organization, that have made a
transformational contribution to ethical sourcing and responsible practice in
the global trade, IAC said last week.

Zerouki, De Beers’ senior vice president of international
relations and ethical initiatives, will receive the accolade for her efforts in
raising international awareness of sustainability through the De Beers Best
Practice Principles. She has also provided working solutions to help track
responsibly sourced diamonds in Sierra Leone.

“Both personally and professionally, Feriel embodies all the
attributes that we seek in an honoree, and this award is so well-deserved for
all that she has done to champion and further responsible practice and ethical
supply chains worldwide,” said Lisa Koenigsberg, president and founder of IAC.

Zerouki began working with De Beers as a supply-chain
analyst in 2005. She was appointed best-practice-principles manager for the
miner in 2009. Together with the Diamond Development Initiative, she helped
launch GemFair, a pilot program that aims to create a secure and transparent
route to market for ethically sourced artisanal and small-scale mined diamonds.
She currently serves as its general manager.

She is also on the board of directors for the World Diamond
Council as well as the Responsible Jewellery Council.

The award will be presented at the IAC Gold Conference April
4 and 5 in New York.

Image: Feriel Zerouki. (IAC)