Venus Jewel, an Indian diamond manufacturer, is India's first Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) member to achieve certification as meeting the ethical, human rights, social and environmental standards established by the RJC Member Certification System.

"The RJC warmly congratulates Venus Jewel on achieving certification… Venus Jewel is the first of a significant wave of India-based companies that will achieve certification this year," says RJC CEO Michael Rae.

S.P. Shah, a partner in Venus Jewel, said the diamond company – founded in 1969 – was "committed to the highest level of ethics, transparency and consistency. We have an unrivalled reputation for integrity, technical innovation and expertise that we are proud to have achieved over the years. We are honored to be the first RJC Member to achieve this important certification in India and we encourage others within our industry to follow suit."