The Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC), an international standard-setting organisation for the jewellery sector, has appointed Melanie Grant as its new executive director. 

Grant has over 20 years of journalistic experience, having worked at The Times, The Financial Times, The Independent, The Guardian, The BBC and The Economist, where she was luxury editor of 1843 Magazine, its lifestyle sister publication. She was jewellery editor and picture editor at The Economist for 16 years, and took a sabbatical to write her first book, Coveted: Art and Innovation in High Jewellery, published by Phaidon in October 2020.  

In addition to her media background, Grant has also curated for Sotheby's, TEFAF Maastricht and The Serpentine Galleries. She guest lectures at Central Saint Martin's and The Royal College of Art; writes for Vogue, Vanity Fair, The Goldsmiths' Company and The Natural Diamond Council; and speaks at The Science Museum, The British Museum, The MFA Boston and the Victoria and Albert Museum. She sits on the boards of New York Jewelry Week, The Black in Jewelry Coalition and The Copenhagen Commitment, an NGO dedicated to ethical transparency.

Grant is tasked to continue growing awareness among consumers, collectors, designers, brands and supply chain specialists on the need to strengthen sustainable business practices in the watch and jewellery industry. She will work closely with RJC’s board of directors, management team, staff and other stakeholders to ensure the council’s future growth. 

“We are today with sustainability where we were with digital transformation 20 years ago. Those who embraced it thrived but also gained new and younger clients,” shared Grant. 

Founded in 2005 by 14 industry organisations, RJC said its certifications through its Code of Practices now cover more than half of the global jewellery market. It currently has nearly 1,700 members in 71 countries.