Tiffany & Co. has developed strict protocols for the sourcing of gemstones. Tiffany & Co. currently sells over 100 varieties of gemstones in relatively small quantities. Due to the highly fragmented and complex nature of the gemstone industry, traceability levels are not the same for gemstones as they are for diamonds and precious metals.
Tiffany & Co. continuously reviews our supply chain
to attempt to find ways to achieve greater
transparency and better assure responsible sourcing.
BURMESE GEMSTONES
Rubies are among the world’s most desirable gemstones and many of the finest specimens are mined in Burma (Myanmar), a nation cited for human rights violations. In response to these violations, the U.S. government enacted the Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act of 2003, forbidding the importation of products from that nation, including rubies and jadeite.
Tiffany & Co. is one of the few retail jewelers that has long respected both the letter and the spirit of the 2003 Act. Since that time, Tiffany & Co. has refused to buy gemstones that we can reasonably identify as being of Burmese origin, regardless of where the gems are cut or polished.
In 2008, the passage of the Tom Lantos Block Burmese JADE Act strengthened this prohibition and closed a major loophole in the previous law that had permitted the importation of Burmese rubies and jadeite if they were cut and polished in other countries.