A Proud Achievement for Michael Hill and Its Commitment to an Ongoing Sustainability Journey
The global jewellery brand is thrilled to announce it is the first major jeweller in Australia & New Zealand to become an Accredited Retailer for Certified Sustainable Laboratory-Created Diamonds.
MURARRIE, Australia, August 2, 2022 /3BL Media/ - The exquisite range of laboratory-created diamonds available at Michael Hill are certified under the SCS 007 Jewelry Sustainability Standard, offering unprecedented diamond origin traceability assurance, climate neutrality and a heightened level of transparency around environmental and social responsibility.
According to Tracemark’s Sustainable Luxury Consumer Report 2021, 63.5% of consumers sampled reported the pandemic made them more conscious of making ethical and sustainable purchasing decisions, a percentage that rises to more than 68% among frequent jewellery consumers.
Catering to such demand, Michael Hill’s offering allows customers to choose a beautiful stone that aligns with their values. As the company expanded its laboratory-created diamond offerings in stores throughout 2020-2021, this category grew 183% with a large increase in consumers opting to purchase laboratory-created diamonds, especially amongst the younger generation.
“At Michael Hill, we’re in the business of celebrating the special moments in peoples’ lives and we know that the story behind the jewellery matters. We’ve long had a focus on responsibility and ethical sourcing, and our offering of Certified Sustainability Rated Laboratory-Created Diamonds is an important part of our ongoing sustainability commitment.” – Daniel Bracken, CEO, Michael Hill.
Setting a new standard of excellence, a Certified Sustainability Rated Diamond has been independently evaluated in accordance with the SCS-007 Jewelry Sustainability Standard - Sustainability Rated Diamonds and certified against five pillars of sustainability achievement:
- ORIGIN TRACEABILITY – Each diamond can be traced back to its source based on advanced testing and auditing protocols, for the highest possible source-to-market certainty ever achieved.
- ETHICAL STEWARDSHIP – Developed with the help of experts on social and environmental justice, this pillar ensures detailed accountability for the health, well-being and fair treatment of all workers, as well as extensive protections for the environment.
- CLIMATE NEUTRALITY – Diamond Producers agree to eliminate or offset their entire climate footprint within a timeframe that can make a real difference. This requirement goes further than any other standard by including annual greenhouse gas emissions and additional climate pollutants, plus ‘legacy’ emissions (that is, the residual greenhouse gases remaining in the atmosphere from prior years of operation). Because the climate can’t wait!
- SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION – Each Diamond Producer works toward achieving zero impacts in all categories of production-related environmental impacts. This measure of sustainability has never been included in any sustainability standard, and therefore, sets an important precedent for other industries to follow.
- SUSTAINABILITY INVESTMENTS – Sustainability Rated Diamond Producers are helping to protect the climate and environment as well as people in need through two key investments:
- A portion of all Diamond Certificate fees are directed to support independent initiatives aimed at improving the lives of workers and protecting the environment in artisanal and small-scale mining communities.
- Supporting the upgrades of brick kilns in the Himalayan Mountains Watershed region – Bricks are the key building materials used for homes and buildings in the region. Unfortunately, these kilns represent one of the single greatest sources of potent climate and toxic air pollutants. Cleaning up these kilns with pollution prevention technologies helps both the climate and the health of local citizens.
“SCS is thrilled to welcome Michael Hill, the largest jeweller in the Australia/New Zealand market, as an accredited retailer to the SCS 007 Certified Sustainability Rated Diamond program,” said Stanley Mathuram, Executive Vice President, SCS Global Services. “By becoming an accredited retailer, Michael Hill is providing alternatives for customers who are demanding more transparency into the practices and sustainability of the diamonds they purchase.”
Certified Sustainability Rated Laboratory-Created Diamonds are currently available within the Fenix Created Diamonds for Michael Hill Collection. While currently available in 150 stores across Australia, New Zealand and Canada, all stores will stock the range by June 2022, ensuring all consumers have access to choice.
For further information, please visit www.michaelhill.com.au/sustainability.
About SCS 007
The non-profit standards development body, SCS Standards Development, released the SCS-007 Sustainability Rated Jewelry Standard in 2021 as the first comprehensive, multi-stakeholder sustainability standard developed for the gemstone-quality diamond sector. Requirements address five key pillars of sustainability: Verified Origin Traceability, Ethical Stewardship, Climate Neutrality, Sustainable Production Practices and Sustainability Investments. The standard is now being expanded to include precious metals and gemstones. A portion of fees goes into a fund to support Artisanal Scale Mining communities.
About SCS Global Services
SCS Global Services is an internationally recognized leader in third-party certification of environmental and sustainability claims. Headquartered in Emeryville, California, SCS Global Services has representatives and affiliate offices throughout the Americas, Asia/Pacific, Europe and Africa. It is the certification arm of Scientific Certification Systems, Inc., a chartered benefit corporation. Additional information is available at www.scsglobalservices.com.
Media Contact
Josephine Silla-Afuwape
Director, Digital Marketing & Special Projects
jsilla@scsglobalservices.com
