RESPonsible jewellery council

Business Partner Protocol

To ensure ethical and effective business practices with our associates, we required all to complete a statement ensuring that they operate their business in line with the RJC's Code of Practices. We complete a risk assessment annually to identify suppliers who's material may originate from CAHRA countries and act on its findings. Our strategy of continued improvement by always working with RJC members (where possible) has meant that our suppliers are identified as having a low risk of supplying material originating from CAHRA countries. Further information is available by emailing the managing director on enquiries@hkjewellery.co.uk

OUR WIDER COMMITMENTS TO RESPonsible Business Practices

Responsibility is in the DNA of Harriet Kelsall Bespoke Jewellery. This responsibility also extends across every group and community with which we interact. One of our eight key values is to be socially and environmentally responsible and to promote strong ethics and we strive to implement these values in as many ways as possible:

• As part of her commitment to responsible business, Harriet was a non-executive Director for the Responsible Jewellery Council between 2018 and 2019. She talks nationally and internationally on ethics, the environment and CSR in order to encourage responsibility across the jewellery industry and beyond, especially within small businesses.
• All of our significant suppliers have declared, in writing, that they are committed to conducting their business in a culture of honesty, transparency and opposition to fraud and corruption
• We will only handle diamonds that are guaranteed by the Kimberley Process. There are certain exceptions when it comes to customers’ own diamonds and more information about these can be found here.
• Whenever possible, we encourage use of Fairtrade or recycled metals
• We can reuse our customers’ own gold and we recycle our own gold scraps

In line with our commitment to protecting the environment:

• We seek to avoid or minimise the use of materials that generate waste by using the principles of Reduce, Recover, Reuse and Recycle.
• We operate stringent recycling procedures for the limited waste we produce.
• We commit to saving energy with modern insulation in our premises, low energy lighting and keeping our doors shut.
• Our Halls Green studio is heated with a biomass fuel system.
• Our packaging is made from bamboo. – the most sustainable wood and these come in recycled cardboard and are reused by local groups in craft projects
• When sending items to our suppliers, for example to the Assay Office, we reuse envelopes and packaging
• We use sustainable woods for our displays
• We use FSC approved paper and recyclable stationary
• In our workshop we recycle our lemil and dispose of hazard chemical appropriately
• We believe sound business ethics should include supporting our community and championing worthy causes so we organise local charity events and encourage creativity in the next generation with children’s jewellery making workshops
• We engage with local schools and give talks on Fairtrade, as well as presenting at career fairs about life as a jewellery designer or goldsmith.
• We value the health and wellbeing of our team members and as such we implement flexible working practices upon request
• We uphold and respect the UN's Universal declaration of Human Rights and aim to prevent modern slavery.
• Our coffee shop provides Fairtrade tea and coffee and other Fairtrade products where possible. Food is sourced locally where possible to reduce food miles.
• We encourage our staff to use public transport or car sharing.

Provenance Claims AND OUR SUPPLY CHAIN

Any geographical or origin provenance claims made in respect of gemstones and metal are made in good faith based on written statements from our suppliers and not laboratory testing. Our membership of the Responsible Jewellery Council requires that we have robust procedures and systems in place to verify these claims - more information is available on request. Grievances relating to provenance claims or our supply chain should be addressed to the managing director at enquiries@hkjewellery.co.uk