PDPAOLA
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 5 sources
Barcelona brand selling gold-plated silver jewellery.
There's no proof PDPAOLA pays more than the legal minimum, which in China 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 2 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It doesn't show that workers are paid a living wage, and isn't certified as working towards one. On Track needs at least one of these.
- 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.
- Checks its own supply chain. PDPAOLA looks for problems in its own supply chain and publishes what it finds. It found unpaid or underpaid wages in 2025 and is fixing it, so it doesn't count against the grade. It's listed below under Confirmed issues.
Good requirements 2 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 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
- 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 2
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Made mostly in countries with poor worker rights, without a full independent audit of its supply chain
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
PDPAOLA says which countries it makes its products in, but doesn't name the factories.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Spain | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| India | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
Evidence
What we found
- Passes the raw-material check for jewellery and watches: conflict-free diamonds, gems and gold traced to the mine, lab-grown, recycled or Fairmined (the Kimberley Process alone isn't enough).
- Responsible Jewellery Council certified: Industry code for jewellery businesses covering human rights and responsible sourcing. Its Chain of Custody standard traces materials; the basic certification does not.
- Uses recycled metals or fibres
- Uses lab-grown diamonds or gemstones
Research notes PDPAOLA designs in Barcelona and has its jewellery made by independent suppliers in China, India and Spain; it does not publish shares or supplier names. It is RJC Code of Practices certified (audited 2023) and says all its direct suppliers are RJC members, with SMETA or BSCI audits accepted otherwise. In 2025 about 96% of units contained recycled metal and all diamonds were lab-grown. Its own audits found working hours, pay and safety problems at some factories in 2025, and it has no living wage commitment for suppliers. No split by country is published, so shares are left blank.
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 brands. (2024 edition; latest is 2026) View |
Confirmed issues 1
Only confirmed problems are listed, and old ones drop off after 10 to 15 years. A problem the company has fully put right no longer counts against it, and nor does one it finds and is fixing itself. How problems are counted
| Last recorded | What happened | Made amends? |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | PDPAOLA reported that 2025 audits at some factories of its finished-goods suppliers found excessive working hours, pay problems, hazardous conditions and limits on freedom of association, none classed as severe (PDPAOLA Sustainability Report, 2025). Source · search the archiveFound and being fixed by the company Not counted against the grade while the company is actively fixing it, because it found and published it itself. | PartlyThe factories adopted corrective action plans with measures, verification and timelines (PDPAOLA Sustainability Report 2025). |
Sources and actions
Sources 5
Show all 5 sources
- Jeweller - Heart & Grace · search the archive · August 2026: Sydney distributor Heart & Grace supplies PDPAOLA to Australian retailers
- Jeweller - Spanish jewellery brand to enter Australian market · search the archive · 2021: Heart & Grace appointed to distribute PDPAOLA to Australian jewellers
Published by PDPAOLA or its owner
- PDPAOLA - Jewelry sustainability · search the archive · Made by suppliers in China, India and Spain; RJC certified member; 100% of direct suppliers RJC members; works only with lab diamonds
- PDPAOLA Sustainability Report 2025 · search the archive · RJC COP audit 2023, 3-year certificate; 96% of units with recycled metal; 187 staff; 2025 audit findings and corrective plans
- PDPAOLA - To which countries do you ship? · search the archive · Ships to Australia, priced in AUD
Company details
- Headquarters
- Spain
- Employees
- About 187
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is PDPAOLA ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/pdpaola, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Other fashion jewellery brands
Nothing we've rated in fashion jewellery is better than Lacks transparency yet.
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent PDPAOLA.