Signet expands existing sourcing protocols to diamonds, platinum and silver

Signet Jewelers, one of the United States' leading retailers of diamond jewelry, filed its sixth consecutive Conflict Minerals Report with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Signet disclosed that its supply sources of gold from the Democratic Republic of The Congo (DRC) were guaranteed to be conflict free. The firm also reported it had "extended its 3TG diligence and reporting under Section 1502 beyond the required 3TG to voluntarily note the extensive efforts around diamonds, platinum and silver."

"Our customers care about the integrity of our jewelry sourcing," said Signet Chief Executive Officer Virginia C. Drosos. "They choose to purchase from us because they appreciate our decades-long global leadership in responsibly sourcing the metals and gems used to create our jewelry. We are continuing to earn their trust by expanding the materials we track and leading important industry organizations dedicated to this mission."

Signet's Conflict Minerals Report reflects the complexity and breadth of the jewelry supply chain and demonstrates the company's commitment to continuous improvement in the integrity of the global jewelry supply chain, she added.

Among Signet's responsible sourcing accomplishments are, amongst others:

In April 2019, Signet published the Signet Responsible Sourcing Protocol (SRSP) for Colored Gemstones, providing assurance that Signet fine jewelry containing rubies, sapphires and emeralds will be verified as responsibly sourced. This adds to the SRSP previously in place for gold, 3TGs, diamonds, silver and platinum group metals.

In 2018, as part of the Responsible Artisanal Gold Solutions Forum (RAGSF), Signet received jewelry, including gold from the first supply chain designed to source conflict-free artisanal gold from the DRC for use in products sold to consumers in the United States. Signet is a founding member of the RAGSF, a multi-stakeholder coalition which seeks to learn about and address critical barriers to the production and trade of artisanal gold from the Great Lakes Region of Central Africa.

For additional information on Signet Jewelers' responsible sourcing efforts, go to http://www.corporatereport.com/signet/2018/csr