Chow Tai Fook
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 4 sources
Hong Kong jeweller selling gold, diamond and jade jewellery.
There's no proof Chow Tai Fook pays more than the legal minimum, which in China and Thailand is below a living wage, and it has no full independent audit.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 1 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It has 3 red flags: no evidence of a living wage, a hidden, unaudited supply chain in high-risk countries and untraced high-risk mined materials. Two or more red flags means a poor grade.
- It isn't Harm on record, because there's no serious confirmed problem on its record.
- Lacks transparency is still a poor grade: in supply chains like this, workers who can't be seen to be treated fairly are usually underpaid or unprotected.
Good requirements 1 of 6
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Not met: Respects worker rightsMost of its products are made in China, Thailand and India, where unions are heavily restricted, and it has no full supply chain audit.
- Not met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standards
- Met: No child or forced labour findings or links
- Not met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that list
- Not met: Conflict-free: diamonds, gems and gold traced to the mine, lab-grown, recycled or Fairmined (the Kimberley Process alone isn't enough)
Red flags 3
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Hidden supply chain, mostly in countries with poor worker rights
- Red flag: Relies on high-risk mined materials it can't traceShown to explain the grade. It isn't one of the 2 red flags that set it.
- Red flag: Fails its category's raw-material check (means Lacks transparency)
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
Chow Tai Fook names some of the countries it makes in: China and Thailand. The rest is shown as where jewellery and watches are usually made.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Thailand | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| IndiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| ItalyUsual for the industry | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| SwitzerlandUsual for the industry | Regular violations | About a living wage | Low |
Evidence
What we found
- Risk across the industry, not a finding about this company: gold and gemstone mining are linked to child labour, forced labour and mercury poisoning.
- Relies on gold and gemstones from artisanal mines where workers face mercury poisoning, silica dust and deadly collapses. It hasn't shown any steps to trace these materials to the mine, so it's graded Lacks transparency until it does.
Research notes Chow Tai Fook makes much of its jewellery in its own production hubs in Wuhan and Shunde, China, and buys the rest from outside suppliers, including in Thailand, but does not publish the split or name suppliers. It says all active suppliers went through due diligence in FY2026 with only minor findings. Recycled gold was 11.5% of gold used, and newly bought T MARK diamonds over 0.08 carats are traced to country of origin. Human Rights Watch rated its sourcing 'weak' in 2020. No living wage commitment is published. Neither share is published, so the countries are listed without shares.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Not covered | Baptist World Aid's Ethical Fashion Report (latest edition 2024) does not assess jewellery companies. (2024 edition; latest is 2026) View |
Sources and actions
Sources 4
Show all 4 sources
- Human Rights Watch - Jewelry companies' sourcing improves but falls short · search the archive · Chow Tai Fook rated 'weak' on responsible sourcing in 2020
- Inside Retail - Chow Tai Fook opens first store in Australia · search the archive · First Australian store opened at Westfield Sydney, March 2026; group has 5,000+ stores
Published by Chow Tai Fook or its owner
- Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group Sustainability Report 2026 · search the archive · Wuhan and Shunde production hubs; supplier due diligence; 11.5% recycled gold; T MARK diamond traceability; 24,700+ staff
- Chow Tai Fook Annual Report 2026 · search the archive · 24,700+ employees at 31 March 2026; Henry Cheng chairman; in-house production hubs
Company details
- Headquarters
- Hong Kong
- Employees
- About 24,700
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Chow Tai Fook ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/chow-tai-fook, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Better-graded fine jewellery
No fine jewellery brand selling new goods is Good yet. These are the strongest so far.
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Chow Tai Fook.