Purvi Shah, De Beers head of ethical and sustainable value chains, will spearhead the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) as its new executive director. On February 7, 2026, Shah will take over her new role, marking a significant shift as the industry faces intensifying scrutiny around ethics and transparency.
She brings to her post more than 15 years of experience shaping ESG policy and embedding responsible practices across the jewellery supply chain. “I am honoured to join the RJC at a pivotal moment for our industry as we work together to shape a future rooted in transparency, accountability, and sustainability,” she said, adding that responsible business remains essential to “consumer trust, commercial resilience, and long-term value creation.”
In her previous role at De Beers, Shah led the evolution of the company’s Best Practice Principles and Pipeline Integrity programmes — widely regarded as benchmarks for provenance assurance and supply-chain accountability. Her longstanding relationship with the RJC includes serving on its board since 2023 and co-chairing its Standards Committee since 2018, contributing to the development of the Council’s Code of Practices 2024, Chain of Custody 2024 and the Laboratory-Grown Materials Standard 2025.
“Purvi has demonstrated exceptional leadership and vision in advancing ethical business practices across the jewellery and watch sector,” said RJC chairman Dave Meleski. “Her ability to connect commercial realities with sustainability ambition, and to unite stakeholders behind shared goals, makes her the ideal leader to guide the RJC into its next chapter.
The council — considered “the leading standards organisation of the global jewellery and watch industry” has over 2,000 members in 74 countries. The members are independently audited against the RJC Code of Practices — an international standard on responsible business practices for diamonds, coloured gemstones, silver, gold and platinum group metals.