Our Policy on Responsible Gold

We are fully committed to the responsible sourcing of gold and other minerals that make their way into jewelry products. We believe gold should be extracted and processed in a manner that respects the needs of people and the earth. We encourage our business partners to adhere to responsible business practices. With that in mind, we are actively asking our suppliers to affirm to us, in writing, their commitment to the responsible sourcing of gold. We believe a commitment to responsible gold must include suppliers, to ensure that responsible practices are addressed at every point in the supply chain. Without the engagement of all segments of our industry, retailers’ individual pledges to source responsibly will not be meaningful. We strongly support the efforts of our trade association, Jewelers of America, to collectively ensure good practices at every level of the supply chain. JA actively participates in and supports initiatives such as the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC), the Alliance for Responsible Mining (ARM), the Diamond Development Initiative International (DDII), and the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA). We are therefore very much involved in not only ensuring we understand the issues as they stand, but in helping to resolve them.

The Classic Gem's Commitment to Responsible Gold

• We will attempt to source, where possible, an increasing percentage of our gold, subject to adequate availability, from mining activities:
• That, in new mining developments, do not employ shallow water submarine or riverine tailings disposal.
• Where basic human rights are respected by all parties involved in the mining, processing and manufacturing of the products we sell.
• Where the principle of informed community participation in decision-making is embraced, and the principle of free, prior and informed consent by relevant local and national constituencies is aspired to.
• Where workers’ rights and labor standards are respected.
• Where there is no contribution to armed or militarized conflict. • That do not threaten nationally or internationally designated protected areas or areas of high conservation or other ecological value.
• That prohibit the forced displacement of communities for new or expansion of existing mining developments.
• That will not result in uncontrolled sulfuric acid drainage into soil, groundwater, and the environment.
• That have provided for appropriate financial guarantees to cover the costs of clean-up and mine closure.