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RAPAPORT... PRESS RELEASE, May 22, 2013, Las Vegas: This year’s Rapaport Fair Trade Conference at JCK Las Vegas will provide a robust discussion of what the jewelry industry can and should do to ensure the legitimacy of the jewelry supply chain. Industry leaders will participate in an open discussion about proactive measures for the implementation of ethical standards. The conference follows ahead. Confirmed panelists include: Eric Braunwart, the president of Columbia Gem House Inc.; David Bonaparte, the president and CEO of Jewelers of America (JA); Benjamin Hackman, the president of the International Colored Gemstone Association (ICA); Larry Drummond, the president of Metalor U.S.A. Refining Corporation; Michael Rae, the CEO of the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC); Ronnie VanderLinden, the president of Diamond Manufacturers and Importers Association (DMIA) and the moderator is Martin Rapaport, the chairman of the Rapaport Group.
The conference will be held at the JCK Las Vegas show in the Banyan Ballroom, Mandalay Bay Hotel on Sunday, June 2, 2013 at 2 p.m. The Rapaport Fair Trade Conference is part of a series of conferences being held on June 2, including the Rapaport Breakfast at 8 a.m. “It’s time for the diamond and jewelry industry to progress from talking about standards to implementing reliable chain-of-custody and source certification programs. The Rapaport Fair Trade conference will provide an opportunity for industry leaders to discuss proactive measures that will ensure the legitimacy of the diamonds, gems and jewelry we sell,” said Rapaport about this year’s conference. The Agenda
Source Certification and RJC Chain-of-Custody Certification
1. Introduction
2. How can the diamond and jewelry industry be sure that the products they sell are legitimately sourced?
3. How do we move forward from the development of standards to the implementation of source verification, auditing and certification programs?
4. What programs currently exist? What are their benefits and limitations? Can gold certification programs be extended to diamonds, gems and other metals?
5. What about products sourced from areas where source certification is impossible or too expensive to implement? Will source certification negatively impact the income of artisanal diggers? Can this be avoided?
6. Where do we draw the line when it comes to implementing ethical standards?
7. How can source-certified products be identified at the consumer level?
8. What impact will source certification have on the marketing and sale of non-certified products?
Free registration is available at www.diamonds.net/JCK2013, via email conference-at-diamonds.net or by phone +1-702-893-9400.
Rapaport Media Contacts: media@diamonds.net
U.S.: Sherri Hendricks +1-702-893-9400;
International: Shira Topiol +1-702-425-9088 About the Rapaport Group: The Rapaport Group is an international network of companies providing added value services that support the development of fair, transparent, efficient, and competitive diamond and jewelry markets. Established in 1978, the Rapaport Diamond Report is the primary source of diamond price and market information. Group activities include Rapaport Information Services providing research, analysis and news; RapNet – the world's largest diamond trading network with daily listings of over 1 million diamonds valued at US$6.5 billion and 12,000 members in 80 countries; Rapaport Laboratory Services provides GIA and gemological services in India, Belgium and Israel; and Rapaport Trading and Auction Services with monthly sales of over 50,000 carats. The Group employs 180 people with offices in New York, Las Vegas, Antwerp, Ramat Gan, Mumbai, Surat, Dubai, Hong Kong and Shanghai. Additional information is available at www.Rapaport.com. About Rapaport Fair Trade: The Rapaport Group is committed to the sustainable development of ethical diamond, gold and jewelry products and markets. We believe that retailers, manufacturers and their suppliers should proactively investigate their supply chains to ensure the legitimacy of the products they sell. We also believe that Fair Trade products sourced from artisanal miners or produced by disadvantaged communities can be a catalyst for the alleviation of poverty. Additional information about Rapaport fair trade initiatives is available at https://www.diamonds.net/fairtrade or via email at fairtrade@diamonds.net.
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