Tiffany & Co. Leads Push for Diamond Transparency With New Ethical Sourcing Initiative

Tiffany & Co. has launched a groundbreaking effort to bring greater transparency to the diamond industry, announcing that it will disclose the origins of all newly sourced diamonds and, by 2020, share details of each stone’s full “craftsmanship journey.” The initiative positions the luxury jeweler as an industry leader in ethical sourcing at a time when global attention remains focused on human rights and environmental responsibility.

The move, part of Tiffany’s Diamond Source Initiative, is a response to decades of scrutiny surrounding the diamond trade. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, global outrage erupted over so-called “blood diamonds” — gems mined in war zones and sold to finance violent conflicts, including Sierra Leone’s civil war. The controversy led to the creation of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme in 2003, developed by the United Nations and industry leaders to curb the trade in conflict diamonds.

However, critics argue that the Kimberley Process remains too narrow in scope, excluding diamonds linked to government abuses or exploitative labor practices. In 2017, the Canadian NGO IMPACT, one of the framework’s founders, withdrew from the initiative, citing its failure to ensure true ethical accountability.

Against this backdrop, Tiffany & Co. aims to set a new benchmark for responsible luxury. Since January 2019, Tiffany stores worldwide have begun displaying the region or country of origin for each diamond in their Love & Engagement collections. Sales staff can now provide customers with sourcing details for every individually registered stone. The company has also pledged to stop purchasing diamonds of unknown origin, committing to full geographic transparency going forward.

“A transparent journey of responsible sourcing reflects the many positive and far-reaching benefits along every step of the diamond supply chain,” said Anisa Kamadoli Costa, Tiffany’s Chief Sustainability Officer.

In the coming years, the initiative will go further. By 2020, Tiffany promised to share where each diamond was cut and polished, underscoring the brand’s unique control over its production chain. Unlike most jewelers, Tiffany owns and operates its own polishing workshops worldwide, employing more than 1,500 artisans.

“There should be nothing opaque about Tiffany diamonds,” said CEO Alessandro Bogliolo. “Our clients want and deserve to know where their most cherished jewelry comes from — and how it came to be.”

While the company hinted that even more detailed provenance information may be offered in the future, Tiffany says this initiative represents a major first step toward transforming transparency and accountability in the global diamond trade.