Our story began in late 2019, when the team behind WD Lab Grown Diamonds and Latitude reinforced their commitment to leading with integrity by engaging with SCS Global Services ("SCS"), a global leader in third-party Sustainability and Chain of Custody (CoC) certification.
SCS has developed, in concert with a multi-stakeholder Standards Development Committee, the official Certification Standard for Sustainability Rated Diamonds (SCS 007). Stanley Rhodes, PhD, Founder and President of SCS, shared his reason behind taking on this incredible responsibility,
"While diamonds have long been associated with luxury, the industry needed a resource to address concerns about the mistreatment of workers, damage to the environment, and promulgation of greenwashing. We felt the time was right to develop a holistic sustainability standard for the diamond sector to help companies doing the right thing to set themselves apart."
Over the course of twelve months, our team completed an extensive audit against SCS-007, undergoing a comprehensive, third-party Lifecycle Assessment (LCA) and full review of our operations, human resources, labor practices, supply chain diligence, and anti-corruption policies, among other key categories.
October 2019 – WD Joins SCS Pilot Program
January 2020 – Standards Committee Launches
March 2020 – Data and Policy Review Begins
July 2020 – Live Audit & Full LCA Completed
October 2020 – CoC & Diamond DNA Verified
When we received official word of our SCS Certification in October 2020 – a major milestone in our journey of creating Latitude – it was an opportunity to reflect on our purpose and our progress. Demonstrating adherence to the Standard's strict Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) requirements, the WD Lab Grown Diamonds family of brands became the first and only diamond company worldwide to be Certified Climate Neutral and Certified Sustainability Rated – the highest level of achievement.
In February 2021, following the acquisition of a new laboratory in Chicago, the WD and Latitude team publicly announced our certification achievement, defining this new benchmark for the diamond industry, and highlighting our five core achievements under the Standard.
Fast-forward to today, our company now shares a deeper understanding of our impact and the power we have to effect change. Our team operates according to a shared Code of Ethics – a book of commitments we make to one another, and our trusted partners. In addition to our Environmental and Social policies, our underlying Governance systems incorporate internal and external due diligence and accountability measures across:
- Stakeholder Engagement
- Business Ethics
- Anti-Corruption
- Anti-Bribery
- Privacy Protection
Sustainability is a journey, not a destination, and our work has just begun. Leading with transparency, and an acknowledgment of all of the work that has yet to be done, we set out every day to make progress, however big or however small, toward a more beautiful future for people and planet.
