Tiffany & Co. has announced a program detailing the provenance of the diamonds they sell, beginning with country and mine of origin. Demonstrating a commitment to traceability, as well as a nod to romance, the New-York based jeweler plans to share this “Full Craftsmanship Journey” for every newly-sourced diamond of 0.18 carats or more.
Diamonds, formed up to 3 billion years ago and brought to the earth’s surface by a miracle of nature, are symbols of the most important moments in our lives. There should be nothing opaque about Tiffany diamonds. Our clients want and deserve to know where their most valuable, most cherished diamond jewelry is from, and how it came to be. – Alessandro Bogliolo, CEO, Tiffany & Co.
The narrative includes each component from mine to market: Where the diamond was unearthed, where it was cut, polished & graded, and details about its incorporation into the finished piece of jewelry.
Sustainability and awareness
By committing to full traceability and sustainability initiatives, Tiffany hopes to serve increasing consumer demand for transparency while inspiring others in the diamond and jewelry industry to bring about similar positive change.
The diamond industry is still, on the whole, very opaque about the jewelry supply chain. Our customers deserve to know that a Tiffany diamond was sourced with the highest standards, not only in quality but also in social and environmental responsibility. – Anisa Kamadoli Costa, CSO, Tiffany & Co.
Tiffany’s commitment to sustainability is not limited to diamonds. There are specific protocols for each of the 70+ colored gemstone varieties incorporated in Tiffany & Co. jewelry as well as the precious metals used in fabrication. No coral or ivory is used and the company does not source materials from countries where concerns have been raised about human rights violations.
Romancing the stone
The oldest diamonds date back three billion years, and the youngest diamonds are around one billion years old. To give context on how long diamonds have existed, if the youngest diamonds were celebrating their 100th birthday today, human history is less than a week old for them. And to the oldest diamonds, humans have only been around for 48 hours.
Tiffany’s diamonds are primarily sourced from Australia, Botswana, Canada, Namibia, Russia and South Africa. The planning and polishing takes place in Tiffany & Co. workshops in Belgium, Botswana, Cambodia, Mauritius, Vietnam and the United States.
In 2019 Tiffany was the first luxury jeweler to start disclosing region or country of origin for every diamond they sell.