Best Practice Principles

In 2003 De Beers Group played a key role in the establishment of the Kimberley Process – an agreement put in place to eliminate the trade of conflict diamonds across international borders. However, we also wanted to apply best practice in other areas of the industry to ensure an ethical diamond supply.

In 2005, we launched the strictest set of standards that the industry had ever seen: the Best Practice Principles (BPPs) Assurance Programme.

The BPPs ensure that all De Beers Group diamonds can be trusted to be conflict-free, abide by international human rights frameworks and labour regulations, alongside further rigorous ethical, social and environmental requirements.

These standards apply throughout our value chain from discovery to retail, not only within own operations but as a mandatory requirement for all those doing business with us. As a result, currently more than 2,600 entities across the diamond industry, which together employ over 300,000 people, are subject to these standards.

Each year, every entity, including our own business units, as well as our clients and contractors, must provide a self-assessment against every relevant standard. A randomised selection of these assessments are then independently audited and assured by a third party to confirm compliance annually. Failure to comply ends our working agreement.