RJC Chain of Custody — Mine-to-Market Verification for Precious Metals
RJC Chain of Custody — Mine-to-Market Verification for Precious Metals
The Responsible Jewellery Council's voluntary standard for documented custody of gold, silver, and platinum-group metals
The RJC Chain of Custody, abbreviated CoC, is the Responsible Jewellery Council's voluntary certification standard for the provenance and traceability of precious metals — gold, silver, palladium, and platinum — through the supply chain. Introduced in 2012 and revised in 2017, the CoC enables a piece of certified material to carry a documented history from mine or recycler through refining, manufacturing, and retail. It is the principal industry-recognised mechanism by which downstream brands can substantiate claims of responsibly sourced metal.
How custody is documented
Each link in a CoC-certified supply chain is independently audited and must demonstrate four core capabilities: physical segregation of certified material from non-certified material, accurate mass-balance accounting from input to output, documented custody transfers between certified parties, and management systems that allow the certified status of a particular lot to be traced through the operation. Refineries hold the most demanding obligations, since they are the points at which physical material is most often transformed; manufacturers and retailers must demonstrate that certified material remains identifiable as it passes through their hands.
Eligible material
The 2017 revision of the CoC standard clarified eligibility for several categories of feed material. Newly mined material from RJC-certified mines is eligible, as is material from artisanal and small-scale mining operations meeting specified due-diligence requirements. Recycled material is eligible subject to documented custody and exclusion of conflict-affected sources. The standard aligns with OECD due-diligence guidance for responsible mineral supply chains, which sets out the broader framework for excluding material from conflict and high-risk areas.
Distinction from the Code of Practices
The CoC is voluntary and separate from the mandatory RJC Code of Practices. A CoP-certified member operates to the Council's general standard for ethical, social, and environmental practice but does not by that fact alone make any particular claim about the provenance of the metal it handles. The CoC adds an audited custody overlay that supports such claims for specific material flows. Many CoP-certified members do not pursue CoC certification because the additional cost is justified only when downstream demand for verified provenance exists.
Position relative to other standards
The RJC CoC sits alongside several adjacent frameworks. The London Bullion Market Association's Responsible Gold Guidance addresses similar questions for refiners producing Good Delivery bars. The Fairtrade and Fairmined certifications focus more narrowly on artisanal and small-scale mining. The OECD Due Diligence Guidance is the overarching framework most national regulators reference. RJC is generally accepted as the most comprehensive jewellery-specific scheme, while the others address particular segments of the supply chain.
In the trade
For dealers and retailers, CoC-certified metal carries a small premium reflecting the audit and documentation cost upstream. The premium is typically borne by buyers with explicit responsible-sourcing commitments — luxury groups, listed retailers, and institutional clients. CoC claims should be verified by examining the chain of certificates from refinery downward; the absence of a continuous documented chain renders any downstream provenance claim unreliable.