Jewellery standards widen as membership reaches 2,015

The Responsible Jewellery Council’s 2026 progress report records 2,015 global members at the end of 2025. The organisation began with 14 founding members and now spans businesses from mining and refining to manufacturing and retail.

RJC’s Code of Practices applies to businesses working with gold, silver, platinum-group metals, diamonds and coloured gemstones. Commercial members have two years to obtain certification, with audit firms reviewing reports and making certification decisions.

A standards calendar for 2026

The standards calendar changed in 2026. From 1 January, new certification audits could no longer be conducted against the 2019 Code of Practices or the 2017 Chain of Custody standard, apart from specified mid-term, surveillance and scope-change cases under the transition rules.

Laboratory-grown materials form a separate part of the timetable. RJC states that members certified before 1 January 2024 and dealing in laboratory-grown materials were required to complete combined 2024 Code of Practices and Laboratory Grown Materials Standard audits by 1 May 2026. A 31 December 2026 date applies to a later group described on the RJC site.

Membership and certified scope

The 2026 progress report and standards pages describe membership and certification at an industry-wide level. A company’s certified scope and current certificate remain specific to that member and its audited activities.

The next transition date in RJC’s published calendar is 31 December 2026, closing the listed 2026 audit window for the later laboratory-grown-materials group.