Malabar Gold & Diamonds
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 23 October 2026 · 4 sources
Indian jewellery chain selling gold and diamond jewellery in 14 countries.
Malabar Gold & Diamonds can't show that the workers who make its products in India and Bangladesh earn a living wage, which workers there are very unlikely to.
Also worth knowing
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 countries such as India and the United Arab Emirates, 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
From press and retailer reports; Malabar Gold & Diamonds doesn't say where its products are made. The rest is shown as where jewellery and watches are usually made.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| India | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| United Arab Emirates | No guarantee of rights | Not rated | Very high |
| Saudi Arabia | No guarantee of rights | Not rated | Very high |
| Qatar | No guarantee of rights | Not rated | Moderate |
| Oman | Regular violations | Not rated | Moderate |
| Bangladesh | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| ChinaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| ThailandUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| 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.
- Makes part of its range in its own factories
- 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 Malabar makes its jewellery in about 15 of its own manufacturing units in India (Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana, Maharashtra and West Bengal), the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman and Bangladesh, with no split by country. It says it buys gold only from responsible sources and took a first shipment of traceable RandPure gold from South Africa's Rand Refinery in 2023, but gives no share of gold traced to the mine, no diamond origin data, no supplier list or audit results, and no Responsible Jewellery Council certification.
Sources and actions
Sources 4
Show all 4 sources
- Malabar Gold & Diamonds procures 100 per cent traceable RandPure gold from Rand Refinery (Business Standard press release) · search the archive · First shipment of RandPure gold with country-of-origin certificates, December 2023; share of total gold not stated
- Malabar Gold & Diamonds (Indian Jeweller, April 2024) · search the archive · 15 manufacturing units in India, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman and Bangladesh; about 21,000 employees; says gold and diamonds come from responsible sources
- Malabar Gold & Diamonds expands presence in Australia (The Peninsula) · search the archive · Showrooms in Sydney (2023) and Melbourne (2025); over 410 showrooms in 14 countries
Published by Malabar Gold & Diamonds or its owner
- About us (Malabar Group) · search the archive · Headquartered in Calicut, Kerala; manufacturing units in India and the GCC; over 400 outlets in 13 countries; responsible sourcing named without detail
Company details
- Owned by
- Malabar Group
- Headquarters
- India
- Employees
- About 21,000
- Last researched
- 23 October 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Malabar Gold & Diamonds ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/malabar-gold-and-diamonds, last researched 23 October 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 Malabar Gold & Diamonds.