Supply Chains — Gemstones
Precious stones, under seal from mine to retail
Diamonds and coloured gemstones move through a chain that is structurally different from metals: sorting and grading instead of assays, auctions instead of bilateral trading, and a government-executed import audit at the border.
Mine
Custody stageKPCSRegistered producers extract rough stones. Provenance starts with proof of legal operation at a verified site.
Registration requirement: Proof of legal operation, location, and mining license or registration where applicable.
How the Kimberley Process actually works
Established in 2003 following UN General Assembly Resolution 55/56, the KPCS is an international, government-backed certification scheme for rough diamonds, built to keep conflict diamonds out of legitimate trade. It operates at the shipment level — a legal certificate per consignment — unlike producer-level standards such as CRAFT in the metals chain.
Where RJC fits — and where KP stops
The Responsible Jewellery Council covers what the Kimberley Process does not: cut and polished stones, coloured gemstones, precious metals in jewellery, and the manufacturers and retailers handling them. It functions as a business-level chain-of-custody certification — the credential behind the final chain-of-custody audit before goods reach retail.
An honest reading matters here: the KPCS's formal scope is limited to rough diamonds financing rebel movements against governments. It does not, by itself, address broader human rights or state-linked abuses — which is exactly why serious provenance work layers KP certificates, RJC credentials, and registered chain-of-custody records rather than treating any single certificate as full ethical assurance.
Operating in the stones chain?
Sorters, auction houses, cutters, graders, and manufacturers can register free and hold a verifiable Nelum ID alongside their KP and RJC credentials.