Independent Private Sector Audit Supports Signet's Sixth Disclosure That Its Jewelry Is "DRC Conflict Free"
Signet Jewelers Limited ("Signet") (NYSE:SIG), the world's largest retailer of diamond jewelry, today filed its sixth consecutive Form SD and Conflict Minerals Report with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in accordance with Section 1502 of the Dodd-Frank Act of 2010. As has been the case for each of the past six years, Signet's Conflict Minerals Report has been accompanied by an independent private-sector audit report that supports Signet's disclosure that it has obtained its supply of the minerals covered by Section 1502 ? gold, tin, tantalum and tungsten ("3TG") ? from "Democratic Republic of The Congo (DRC) conflict free" sources.
For the 2018 calendar year reporting period covered by the latest Form SD/Conflict Minerals Report, Signet 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.
Among Signet's responsible sourcing accomplishments are:
- 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, 3Ts, 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.
- In 2018, Signet's Vice President of Corporate Affairs, David Bouffard, was elected chair of the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC), the global standards-setting and certification organization for the jewelry industry, with more than 1,100 members supporting human rights, business ethics, and social and environmental performance throughout the industry.
- The total number of Signet suppliers who are RJC members has nearly quintupled since 2014, representing over 94% of all Signet jewelry purchases by value.
- In 2018, SIGWATCH, an unaffiliated NGO tracking company based in the United Kingdom, ranked Signet as one of the top five most praised companies in the world ? the only jewelry company on the list ? for the company's responsible sourcing efforts.
- Signet has increased the emphasis on harmonization of Signet's SRSP with the RJC's certification audits and provenance claims, which is now Signet's primary third party verification and assurance mechanism.
For additional information on Signet Jewelers' responsible sourcing efforts and its commitment to responsibility in other areas, including People, Environmental Stewardship and Charitable Giving, please see the company's 2018 Corporate Social Responsibility Report: http://www.corporatereport.com/signet/2018/csr
About Signet Jewelers:
Signet Jewelers Limited is the world's largest retailer of diamond jewelry. Signet operates approximately 3,300 stores primarily under the name brands of Kay Jewelers, Zales, Jared The Galleria Of Jewelry, H.Samuel, Ernest Jones, Peoples, Piercing Pagoda, and JamesAllen.com. Further information on Signet is available at www.signetjewelers.com. See also www.kay.com, www.zales.com, www.jared.com, www.hsamuel.co.uk,www.ernestjones.co.uk, www.peoplesjewellers.com, www.pagoda.com, and www.jamesallen.com.
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