CIBJO's Diamond Special Report focuses on synthetics...

CIBJO's Diamond Special Report focuses on synthetics,

announces conference to examine challenge they pose industry  

MILAN, ITALY: April 9, 2014 - With fewer than six weeks to go to the opening of the 2014 CIBJO Congress in Moscow , the third of the CIBJO commissions' Special Reports has been released. Prepared by the CIBJO Diamond Commission, headed by Udi Sheintal, the report focuses on the challenge posed by the influx of synthetic diamonds into the pipeline, and announces that on the first afternoon of the congress, on Monday, May 19, a special conference will be held to examine the issue, featuring several of the leading experts in the field and a cross section of the industry's leadership.

  

"To successfully position the industry, so that gem-quality synthetic diamonds can be absorbed into the product mix without threatening the integrity and status of natural diamonds, we need a panoramic strategy, which addresses a variety of elements and disciplines," writes Mr. Sheintal. These include research and technology into the methods used to create synthetic diamonds and the instruments and systems required to detect them, legal and ethical questions that are raised, including sanctions that could be imposed against those who do not disclose that diamonds are synthetic, and methods of marketing that enable consumers to differentiate between natural and synthetic diamonds. 

  

"As is always the case in CIBJO, the ultimate yardstick as to how our industry should address the challenge of synthetic diamonds, or any other challenge for that matter, is what is the strategy that will best serve the interests of consumer confidence, both in the products we produce and sell, and in our industry itself," Mr. Sheintal writes.

  

To download a full copy of the report, PLEASE CLICK HERE .

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The 2014 CIBJO Congress will take place in Moscow, Russia, May 19-21, 2014, with pre-congress meetings on May 17 and May 18. The congress will be hosted by the Russian Jewellers' Guild, whose headquarters will also serve as the main congress venue.

CIBJO President Celebrates French Gemmological Association's 50th year

CIBJO President Celebrates French Gemmological Association's 50th year, 

praises critical role of gemmologists in maintaining consumer confidence 

CIBJO President Gaetano Cavalieri addressing
the 50th anniversary gemmological conference
of l'Association Française de Gemmologie.

Gaetano Cavalieri, joined government officials, senior industry representatives and leading gemmologists from around the world at a conference in Paris last week, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the founding of l'Association Française de Gemmologie (AFG), the French Gemmological Association. 

Addressing the gathering, Dr, Cavalieri credited AFG and the gemmologial community of enhancing the confidence of consumers in jewellery and the jewellery industry, through their efforts to advance the principles of full transparency and disclosure.

"Consumer confidence is the platform on which we stand. If it becomes fragile and collapses, so will we," he stated, wishing AFG, its president, Didier Giard, and its Council of Administration, "many more years of serving as one of the buttresses of the foundation on which we all stand."

"Your ability to keep abreast of developments in the marketplace and the minefields, to conduct proper and disciplined scientific research, to publish and disseminate what you have learned, and then to serve the industry through gem identification and grading is absolutely essential," Dr. Cavalieri stated. "We are dependent upon your professional integrity, the quality of your research and the way in which you organise and operate your laboratories. You hold the reputation of our business in the palms of your hands. It is a privilege and also a great responsibility."

The CIBJO President called on the participants at the participants and the conference to contribute to the review and maintenance of the CIBJO Blue Books, which he described as "the most universally recognised and accepted set of jewellery and gemstone standards in the world."



CIBJO President Gaetano Cavalieri (left) looks on, as AFG President Didier Giard addresses the gathering.




Participants at the gemmological conference, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the l'Association Française de Gemmologie, in Paris.

CIBJO is the international jewellery confederation of national trade organisations. CIBJO's purpose is to encourage harmonisation, promote international cooperation in the jewellery industry and to consider issues which concern the trade worldwide. CIBJO's chief mission is to protect consumer confidence in the industry. Click here to go to the CIBJO website for more information.

Press Release submitted by CIBJO

IJL London: Memorandum of Understanding Struck Between CIBJO and Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC)

CIBJO and Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) announce Memorandum of Understanding at IJL London Gaetano Cavalieri (left), President of CIBJO, and James Courage, Chairman of RJC, following  the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding  at the International Jewellery London Show. CIBJO, the World Jewellery Confederation, and the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) today at the International Jewellery London Show (IJL).  The MOU will work to further advance responsible business practices among all sectors of the jewellery supply chain, and will include the use of CSR education programmes developed by CIBJO, in collaboration with the United Nations, and chain of custody certification programmes developed by RJC.  The MOU reflects the willingness of both organisations to collaborate on efforts to entrench a solid understanding and commitment from the jewellery industry, to improve its performance in the crucial areas of human rights, social and environmental performance and ethical business practices. Among the key components of the MOU is the establishment of a MoU Working Group to oversee the execution of the agreement. The group will be headed by Gaetano Cavalieri, CIBJO President, and James Courage, RJC Chairman. They will appoint two industry representatives from their respective organisations to address the synergies inherent in the cooperation between these two global groups. "Our goal is to address proper business practise in the very broadest sense, and together CIBJO and RJC are able to provide comprehensive solutions," said Dr. Cavalieri. "The prime beneficiaries of this agreement need to be the greater jewellery industry, jewellery consumers and all of our stakeholders to the very grass-roots level."       "I am personally very pleased to be working with CIBJO and its President Gaetano Cavalieri and to be part of the MOU working group. I am sure there will be positive outcomes from this collaboration for the jewellery industry," said Mr. Courage.     *

About CIBJO, the World Jewellery Confederation CIBJO is an international confederation of national jewellery trade organisations with the purpose to encourage harmonisation, promote international cooperation in the jewellery industry, and to consider issues which concern the trade worldwide. Foremost among these is to protect consumer confidence in the industry. CIBJO relies upon the initiative of its member national organizations to support and implement its decisions and to protect the public's trust in the jewellery industry. CIBJO's affiliated foundation (World Jewellery Confederation Educational Foundation) has as its mission is to "conceptualise, develop and finance training manuals, courses, studies and working papers, educational and didactic tools, and other educational means to promote, increase and improve knowledge of social and economic corporate responsibility in the international jewellery industry and trade, within the scope of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals." CIBJO is the first and only organisation in the diamond, gemstone and jewellery sectors ever to receive official consultative status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations, and in this capacity committed its membership to promoting the fulfilment the UN's Millennium Development Goals. CIBJO is also a member of the UN Global Compact, and is committed to promoting its better business principles. For more details please visit: www.cibjo.org About RJC The Responsible Jewellery Council is an international not-for-profit organisation bringing together more than 440 member companies.  RJC and its Members are committed to promoting responsible ethical, human rights, social and environmental practices in a transparent and accountable manner throughout the jewellery industry from mine to retail. This commitment aims to reinforce consumer and stakeholder confidence in diamond, gold and platinum metals jewellery products. The RJC has developed the RJC Member Certification system which applies to all Members' businesses that contribute to the diamond, gold and platinum metals jewellery supply chain. All Certified Members of the RJC are audited by accredited, third party auditors to verify their conformance with the RJC's Code of Practices. A voluntary Chain-of-Custody Standard has also been developed for gold and platinum group metals. The RJC is a Full Member of the ISEAL Alliance - the global association for sustainability standards.  For more information on RJC Members, Certification, and Standards please visitwww.responsiblejewellery.com

CIBJO releases Coloured Stone Special Report

CIBJO releases Coloured Stone Special Report,

considers nomenclature describing gem treatments

With four weeks to go to the opening of the 2013 CIBJO Congress in Tel Aviv on May 7, 2013, the third of the CIBJO commissions' Special Reports has been released. Prepared by the CIBJO Coloured Stone Commission, headed by Nilam Alawdeen,  the report  reviews updates already made to the Coloured Gemstone Blue Book and also those that are being considered. In particular it looks at the nomenclature used to describe gemstone treatments.

The Special Report notes the addition of the qualifying terms "laboratory-grown" and "laboratory-created" as alternatives to the term "synthetic," but points out that in the event that a national jewellery association in a non-English speaking country, which is a member of CIBJO, deems that there is no acceptable local direct translation of the terms "laboratory-grown" or "laboratory-created," then only the translation of the term "synthetic" should be used.

The Special Report states the intention of the Coloured Stone Commission to tackle the inadequacy of current nomenclature in describing lead-glass filled rubies. "If 'composite' is not the right term," it says, "CIBJO should work in haste to adopt the proper nomenclature, to better protect consumers' interests and, thereby, the integrity of the industry."

 To download a full copy of the report, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  

The 2013 CIBJO Congress will take place at the Dan Panorama Convention Centre in Tel Aviv, Israel, from May 7 to May 9, 2013, with pre-congress meetings starting on May 5. More information is available on the dedicated 2013 CIBJO Congress website. Preferential congress hotels rates are guaranteed for those registering until April 15, 2013.  

CIBJO Coloured Stone Commission releases Special Report

CIBJO Coloured Stone Commission releases Special Report 

Treatments and restructuring of Blue Books on top of agenda 

Milan, Italy -- April 5, 2012:  Nilam Alawdeen (Japan), president of the CIBJO Coloured Stone Commission (CSC), today released the CSC's annual Special Report, providing an overview of the issues that dominated the discussions and exchanges  between the members of the CSC  Steering Committee throughout the year and of the major topics that are slated for the various meetings that are planned at the upcoming 2012 CIBJO Congress that will take place in upcoming May in Vicenza, Italy.     

Below follows the introduction to the CSC Special Report. (To download the full report in pdf format, please click here)    

"Due to the large number of gemstone varieties it covers, the Coloured Stone Commission (CSC) has always had its hands full. This year is no exception, and this is reflected in the full agenda of both of the Coloured Stone Commission Steering Committee (CSCSC) and of the CSC [at the upcoming CIBJO Congress].  

 

On May 15, the CSCSC will dedicate a full day to its pre-congress meeting. It will discuss and consider a large number of coloured stone related issues, within the smaller but very knowledgeable forum of gem experts, who will first discuss, debate and preferably resolve issues, in order to make recommendations to the full CSC meeting on May 17. 

 

Both meetings will be chaired by CSC President Nilam Alawdeen (Japan), assisted by his two Vice Presidents, Emmanuel Piat (France) and Charles Abouchar ( Switzerland). The following are some of the topics that appear on the CSCSC and CSC agendas.... " 

 

To read on click here to download the full report.