Kay Jewelers, Zales and other brands of Signet Jewelers will shortly introduce in their stores a special collection of gold earrings manufactured by Richline Group using the first conflict-free artisanal gold from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and specifically intended for sale and documented for responsibility to US consumers. The jewellers have partnered with Responsible Artisanal Gold Solutions Forum (Forum), USAID and local partners to make this happen.

The gold has been sourced through a pilot project implemented in South Kivu, DRC to establish a conflict free supply chain for artisanal gold. The gold was exported by Fair Congo, processed in the U.S. by Asahi Refinery, and manufactured into gold earrings by Richline Group.

The launch of the collection represents a number of ‘firsts’ for the artisanal gold sector:

• First supply chain for sourcing conflict free artisanal gold from the DRC by US-listed companies since enactment of the Dodd-Frank Act, section 1502
• First traced artisanal gold sourced from the DRC to be refined by a London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) “Good Delivery” certified refinery
• First conflict-free, artisanal gold conforming to international due diligence standards (OECD, LBMA) to be exported from Eastern DRC
• First mine site and exporter to pilot the DRC’s traceability system (Initiative de Traçabilité de l’Or d’Exploitation Artisanale)

David Bouffard, Vice President of Corporate Affairs at Signet Jewelers said, “Signet Jewelers is proud to be the Forum’s US retail partner. Together, we aim to support the continuous improvement in the integrity of the global jewellery supply chain. We look forward to responsibly-sourced artisanal gold from the DRC becoming part of the mainstream gold supply chain.”

Mark Hanna, Chief Marketing Officer of Richline Group, stated, “As part of the Forum, we are proud to be part of assuring that responsibly sourced artisanal gold from the DRC can be trusted, ethical, and economical.”

Matthew Chambers, founder of the Fair Congo initiatives, “We (Chambers Federation) funded the Fair Congo initiatives to show that it is possible to source in the most responsible way but that industry, and most importantly consumers, demand it. It’s time for industry to come back to invest in the DRC, to promote peace and economic stability. Its beauty and potential, the story of its people, is ready to be told to the world as we scale our investment in the region.”

Dr. Catherine Picard, Chief of Party for the USAID- funded pilot project stated: “Establishing due diligence and traceability on site is an important aspect of any responsible mineral supply chain, but such efforts must be reinforced by strengthening the capacity of local actors to effectively govern their mineral resources.”

The jewellery produced from this gold, while internally tracked by supply chain partners, is not being marketed as a separate product line; rather than segregating the gold, the Forum’s goal is for parity among sources, made possible with effective implementation of due diligence.