MILAN — Italian jeweler Recarlo is upping the ante on its sustainability efforts.
One of the country’s leading jewelers, known for its engagement rings with natural diamonds, the company has forged ties with consultancy Eco-Age to focus its sustainability strategy on three main areas: people, planet and product.
“The strategy is in tune with the values our family has always stood by, one of them being sustainability since my father established the company in 1967,” said Paolo Re, the son of founder Carlo Re and co-chief executive officer with responsibility for marketing and communication.
“All our actions are aimed at leaving a better world to future generations while reducing our environmental impact,” he said, noting that Gen Z and Y consumers have a different value set compared to previous generations, with transparency and sustainability informing their purchases.
To this end, attention to sourcing is key for the company. During a joint virtual press conference, Eco-Age founder Livia Firth noted that “sustainability is a journey and not always a simple one, especially when dealing with complex supply chains like that of gemstones and jewels.”
The company has been charting a transparent approach for 10 years with plans to extend traceability to its entire product offering rather than debuting capsules of fair-mined gems.
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“What we are doing is ambitious,” commented Giorgio Re, who holds the role of co-CEO along with his brother Paolo. “We are the only company in the world that has pledged to certify any diamond over 0.14 carats,” he explained.
Recarlo has been certified by the Responsible Jewellery Council, which guarantees that human and labor rights are respected across the supply chain and that the jeweler’s suppliers adhere to low-environmental impact benchmarks.
The brand has also joined the Kimberly Process, the U.N. institution gathering all the mines that have made pledges to not channel their profits into the funding of conflicts and wars. There’s an additional silver lining to working with ethical mines, Giorgio Re said. “Thanks to profits coming from diamonds’ sales, the countries where the mines are based have the economic means to create new job opportunities and build schools or other infrastructures,” he explained.
In Italy, the company, which is headquartered in Valenza inside a complex that has been recently equipped with a photovoltaic system, is planning to promote diversity and train its employees while also linking with the local community to create new job opportunities.
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