We repudiate his comments fully and completely
IDMA Quotes DeBeers on Rapaport's JCK Breakfast Conference
According to Ronnie VanderLinden, President-IDMA, ‘What stood out were the various reports on Rapaport's JCK Breakfast Conference where Martin Rapaport took the industry at large and De Beers in particular to task. I advise - no, I urge - you to view the video in its entirety and make your own judgement. If you weren't present and want to be part of the conversation, you must watch it first.
In response to the 2018 Rapaport Breakfast Conference and to Martin Rapaport's comments directed at De Beers, the De Beers Group of Companies wrote a letter to its sightholders and to other industry stakeholders which is quoted here below:
Quote:
On 3 June, Martin Rapaport used his annual breakfast presentation at JCK to attack the integrity of every employee of De Beers Group, yet he invited no employee of De Beers Group to offer a different point of view.
He spoke for the entire American and Indian diamond sectors, yet he invited no industry representatives to speak for themselves. Martin’s name calling, smears and racial incitement demean the diamond industry and are a discredit to all those who work within it. We repudiate his comments fully and completely.
We refuse to submit to a world in which he who shouts loudest wins. What Martin wants is to be able to market diamonds from De Beers Group, using the De Beers brand, on his platform for his benefit. We don’t think this is fair, and we told him so.
Martin’s contention seems to be that because diamonds from De Beers Group are ‘ethical’, but we will not allow him to use the De Beers brand when marketing them, we are ‘unethical’.
Martin had planned to use the JCK Show to discuss his source certification. We engaged with Martin multiple times over several weeks, but when we did not comply with his wishes, he threatened us repeatedly. We were unmoved and we continue to be so.
We understand that people of goodwill may disagree with our position, but that doesn’t excuse emotionally charged and baseless accusations. It just means we disagree with Martin Rapaport and are willing to stand by our principles in the face of threats and inflammatory language.
Martin accuses De Beers Group of working to erode ethical supply chains. The facts tell a very different story:
• De Beers Group’s Best Practice Principles (BPP), which audit the ethical performance of our Sightholders and Accredited Buyers, have advanced ethical practices across the diamond industry for more than a decade.
• De Beers Group has worked with Sightholders to elevate standards of financial reporting and transparency.
• De Beers Group is a founding member of the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC), which conducts independent audits of our mining operations and has established recognised supply chain standards through industry-wide and multi-stakeholder collaboration.
• Every Global Sightholder Sales invoice issued to a Sightholder or Accredited Buyer comes with assurance that the diamonds are sourced from our four countries of operation: Botswana, Canada, Namibia and South Africa, and “are sold in accordance with the De Beers Best Practice Principles”.
Some Sightholders have asked us to go further, and we are actively working to develop a solution that will meet Sightholders’ needs while protecting the De Beers brand from chaotic distribution at retail.
• Our investment in an industry-wide blockchain platform will enable all participants to track a diamond to its specific country of origin.
• De Beers Group has either led, or been a leading force in, major ethical supply chain initiatives in the diamond industry over the past decade, including the BPPs, RJC, Diamond Development Initiative and the Kimberley Process.
• In April, De Beers Group launched Gemfair, a pilot programme that provides artisanal diggers in Sierra Leone with technological toolkits that enable them to securely identify and sell their production and earn fair value for the diamonds they find.
We are proud of our progress in building an ethical supply chain in the diamond industry. This work is never done, and we remain vigilant in protecting diamonds and the people who work with them.
