Code of Conduct

All board members, management and staff of JTR are required to review, fully understand and commit to this Code of Conduct.  Integrity is fundamental to the work that we do, and the JTR Code of Conduct sets out our values and standards.  The Code applies equally to all JTR staff and management, regardless of positions or seniority and it will be implemented and enforced fairly and consistently.

JTR’s mission is to provide ethically sourced, transparent, reliable, consistent, and accurate analysis and data so that participants in the diamond and jewellery markets can make buy and sell decisions safely and based on the best available information.  In support of this over-arching objective, JTR provides education to managers, retail staff and consumers to promote the efficient operation of diamond and jewellery markets.  Underlying all that JTR does, is a strong commitment to technical innovation in equipment, processes and products that will support transparent, cost-effective, and environmentally enhanced operations.

Our chief task is to produce identification and grading reports that attest to the technical parameters of diamonds and jewellery. We only issue reports that are fully compliant with international standards and processes as described below. Our reporting and grading are ethical, transparent, and accurate.

JTR's educational programmes aim to enhance traders' and retailers' expertise and market knowledge for high-value transactions. We teach sellers and buyers about diamonds' characteristics and offer gemmological instruction and jewellery product knowledge training.

Assisted by our proprietary technologies, JTR's grading processes are cost- and energy-efficient and contribute to full transparency within our and our clients' retail operations.

JTR pursues to uphold respect and to further inclusion of its staff members in all aspects of our work. We are committed to maintaining a workplace free of harassment or discrimination and guaranteeing the safety and well-being of each working or present in the company's offices. For that purpose, JTR has adopted a full range of health and safety procedures in all its facilities.

JTR pledges to keep all information about its staff confidential and recognizes that all work colleagues should be treated respectfully. Any internal information about JTR, such as business plans, strategies, arbitrations, policy violations, internal reviews, external reviews, investigations, and audits, may only be shared externally, in a collegial manner, when there is a valid business reason to do so, or when such disclosure is required by law.

As to JTR's relationship with its client base and the public, we offer quality products and unbiased, transparent analysis that is undertaken strictly per the IDC/CIBJO rule books. JTR is subject to auditing and review processes as required by the International Standards Organisation (ISO) standards (see below). We also set the highest standards for our educational programmes and technological research.

At JTR, we let our integrity and reputation, earned through hard work and strict compliance, speak for themselves. Accordingly, we do not engage in marketplace gossip and derogatory messaging regarding the practices of competitors. We do not need to. The quality and integrity of our work determine our high reputation in the international marketplace.
‍

The diamond, gem, and jewellery industry is subject to various national and international legal structures. However, it has been chiefly self-regulating regarding diamond, gem, and jewellery identification and grading standards. Therefore, because of the high value of these products, the regulation of the identification, grading, and reporting practices receives substantial attention.

In recent years, the international luxury consumer products market – of which the jewellery industry is part - has significantly grown and diversified. Its consumer base has grown exponentially, especially in Asia. The industry resolved to codify a single set of diamond grading standards to meet the requirements of an increasingly competitive, informed, and sophisticated retail market and to increase consumer confidence and desire for diamonds.

The International Diamond Council (IDC), the World Jewellery Confederation (CIBJO), and the International Standard Organisation (ISO) collaborated to codify and standardise diamond nomenclature and grading processes. JTR fully acknowledges the importance of the work of these institutions. It has resolved to ensure that JTR's grading and work practices fully reflect these international standards and comply with the rules and recommendations of these institutions.

JTR recognises the importance of complying with all international legal and regulatory requirements in all jurisdictions where JTR reports and educational services are available. International anti-corruption and anti-money laundering laws, for example, must be taken into account, and guidance should always be sought from the JTR Chief Compliance Officer (CCO) when issues arise. Anti-competition laws, health and safety standards, environmental targets, and standards are other areas that require careful attention and for which guidance from line management or the CCO should be sought whenever issues arise.

The Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) Code of Practices (COP) Guidance of 2020 and the CIBJO Guidelines for Gemmological Laboratories  of 2016 provide detailed, practical, and appropriate guidance on a range of management practices relevant to JTR's operations. JTR has defined and adopted its operational policy framework and management structures according to RJC's and CIBJO's guidelines.

In the international diamond and jewellery industry and trade, diamonds are often shipped across borders, traveling considerable distances to reach the desired diamond grading laboratory. JTR's researchers and scientists have developed advanced distance grading techniques that allow data collection at the source and remote grading. These technologies will eliminate the need for both the clients and JTR to ship the goods. This is one example of how JTR addresses environmental issues through its technology.

By embracing the concept of social and community responsibility, JTR makes a clear statement that we are obligated to act for society's benefit. Ethical grading practices are just one element of this. Sustaining an appropriate balance between JTR and the environment is another. These responsibilities can be passive, by avoiding harmful acts, or active, by performing activities that directly advance social goals. JTR has made social and community responsibility an integral part of its business model.

JTR staff and management are required to report any meaningful violation of this Code of Conduct. Members of JTR's marketplace and the public are also encouraged to report any incidents or actions construed as violating this Code.

For such reporting, an Ethics Hotline (Complaints Portal) has been established, which provides direct email complaint@jtr.org or telephone access +90 530 392 51 30 to the CCO. The CCO is independent of JTR's line management and reports to an ethics and audit sub-committee of JTR's Supervisory Board. All information submitted through this means will be treated with strict confidence and will receive responses within 24 hours. Investigation and resolution of related issues may take longer. Still, we undertake to provide a report on actions taken at the earliest opportunity.

Not all issues need to go direct to the CCO. In many cases, issues may be resolved through discussion and clarifications from line management. We guarantee that any reports of incidents reflecting actual or potential breaches of this Code will be handled transparently, that confidentiality, if requested, will be respected, and that those reporting will not suffer any negative consequences.

All members of JTR’s staff, management and governing bodies are required to review, receive training on and abide by this Code of Conduct. A written acknowledgement that the Code of Conduct has been understood and committed , is a condition of ongoing employment at JTR. In making that acknowledgement, all signatories will accept that meaningful breaches of the Code of Conduct could result in penalties, including if found necessary, termination of employment. While discussion in this manner, of potential penalties, is a somewhat negative element, it is more important that signatories have acknowledged and fully committed to the very positive intentions of this Code of Conduct.