PRESS RELEASE: Responsible Jewellery Council Appoints Purvi Shah as Executive Director

A respected leader with more than 15 years’ experience advancing sustainability and responsible business practices in the jewellery industry, Purvi has been instrumental in setting and evolving Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) standards and policies that strengthen trust, transparency and long-term value creation across the jewellery value chain.

“I am honoured to join the RJC at a pivotal moment for our industry as we work together to shape a future rooted in transparency, accountability, and sustainability. Responsible business is essential to consumer trust, commercial resilience, and long-term value creation,” said Purvi Shah, incoming RJC Executive Director “I look forward to working with our members, the RJC Board, stakeholders and the RJC team to advance the RJC’s impact to deliver meaningful, lasting value across the supply chain.”

Purvi joins the RJC from De Beers, where she served as the group’s Head of Ethical and Sustainable Value Chains, spearheading transformative initiatives that embedded responsible practices into commercial strategy and operations across the diamond value chain.

She led the evolution of the De Beers Best Practice Principles and Pipeline Integrity programmes,recognised as industry benchmarks for advancing ethical standards, provenance assurance and supply chain accountability. Under her leadership, De Beers integrated sustainability into its valuechain, advancing ESG performance and ambition in line with evolvingstakeholder expectations.

Purvi has a longstanding relationship with the RJC through her role at De Beers. She has served as an RJC Board Member since 2023 and as Co-Chair of the RJC Standards Committee since 2018, playing a key role in the development and launch of the Council’s three leading industry standards: the Code of Practices COP 2024; the Chain of Custody COC 2024 and the Laboratory - Grown Materials Standard LGMS 2025.

In addition, she has collaborated with trade organisations across the global jewellery industry to influence policy, promote collective accountability and ensure evolving standards meet the meet both industry needs and stakeholder expectations. She leads the CIBJO Nomenclature Committee, where she has guided the creation of globally aligned definitions for ESG and sustainability-related marketing terminology, supporting harmonised practices across the sector.

“Purvi has demonstrated exceptional leadership and vision in advancing ethical business practices across the jewellery and watch sector. Her ability to connect commercial realities with sustainability ambition, and to unite stakeholders behind shared goals, makes her the ideal leader to guide the RJC into its next chapter.” Dave Meleski, RJC Chairman.

Having championed the RJC’s purpose from within De Beers, a founding member, Purvi’s appointment represents both continuity and ambition. She will lead the Council into its third decade, building on 20 years of progress to shape the next era of responsible practice in the watch and jewellery industry.

About Responsible Jewellery Council

Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) is the leading standards organisation of the global jewellery and watch industry. With over 2,000 member companies in 74 countries, that span the jewellery and watch supply chain from mine to retail. RJC Members commit to and are independently audited against the RJC Code of Practices – an international standard on responsible business practices for diamonds, coloured gemstones, silver, gold and platinum group metals.

RJC is ISEAL Code Compliant. Our system has been independently evaluated against ISEAL’s Codes of Good Practice – a globally recognised framework for effective, credible sustainability systems. More information at isealalliance.org. is also a member of the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) since 2009.

For more information on RJC Members, Certification, and Standards please visit: www.responsiblejewellery.com