The Plumb Club Now Requiring Members to Join RJC

New York—Supplier organization The Plumb Club announced last week it will require all new and existing members to become certified members of the Responsible Jewellery Council.

The Plumb Club, which is now an RJC association member, is the first organization of its kind to take such action.

The organization said it will work with current and future members to make sure they adopt the RJC Code of Practices and effectively communicate member status to customers and business partners.

Lawrence Hess, executive director of The Plumb Club, confirmed to National Jeweler that a little more than half of its 42 members are already RJC members.

He said all remaining members have to become RJC members within 90 days and then fulfill certification requirements within RJC’s timeframe. According to the RJC website, certification against its Code of Practices is required within two years of joining.

RJC members are certified through a third-party independent process. Its Code of Practices is aligned with international standards from the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

The new requirement, The Plumb Club said, reflects it goal to “connect its members and their customers and help shape the future of the jewelry industry.”

“Our new by-law confirms The Plumb Club’s vision of being a responsible supply side organization recognized for leadership, adding value, and positively impacting the jewelry industry,” President Michael Lerche said at a press conference in New York last Thursday.

“We strongly believe that any jewelry retailer who buys product from a non-RJC member is taking a very serious and unnecessary risk. Buying product from a Plumb Club member will greatly mitigate that risk.”

At the press conference, David Bouffard, chairman of the RJC board and Signet Jewelers’ vice president of corporate affairs, called The Plumb Club’s move “a model for other associations to confidently follow.”

“Now more than ever, jewelry consumers expect that when they make a purchase, they are buying a high-quality product that has been responsibly sourced. These trends are not new to many of us in the industry,” he said.