Response by Tiffany
...Tiffany & Co. has long understood that responsibly sourcing precious metals and diamonds represents our greatest impact, and thus our greatest opportunity. While we recognize that challenges remain, we commend Human Rights Watch for its extensive analysis of this important issue, and are proud of the progress that has been achieved so far.
Tiffany & Co. is committed to reducing environmental impacts, respecting human rights and contributing in a positive way to the communities where we operate. We recognize that supply chains for diamonds, gemstones and precious metals can often be long, complex and opaque, which makes traceability a critical first step toward environmental and social responsibility. We have implemented a vertical integration model that gives us a strong chain of custody over raw materials, direct oversight of manufacturing for the majority of our jewelry, and a voice for improving global standards and conditions. We acquire the majority of our metals directly from mines that we know and from recycled sources. We source the majority of our diamonds as rough diamonds, directly from mines or from suppliers with a limited number of known mines...