The Fei Cui Working Group, which is operating under the CIBJO umbrella with the active support of China’s National Gems & Gemstone Testing Company (NGTC) and the Gemmological Association of Hong Kong (GAHK), outlined progress and challenges in developing an international standard to promote trade and business in jade and jadeite to the participants in the 2024 CIBJO Congress.

The session was broadcast live worldwide, via the CIBJO YouTube channel, as well as in China via the Xinhau Finance, Tiktok, Huya and Yizhibo platforms.  It was viewed by a total of 535,00 people.

Fei Cui, which is often popularly referred to as jadeite, but has a much more complex definition relating to minerals in the jade family, is a vitally important jewellery material with an annual worldwide turnover second only to diamonds, and most notably in the vast Chinese market. 

The speakers in the session included leaders in the field, such as Kent Wong, Managing Director of the world’s largest jewellery retailer Chow Tai Fook, who also is Chairman, Hong Kong Jewellers’& Goldsmiths’ Association, and Dr. Edward Liu, Chairman of the Gemmological Association of Hong Kong (GAHK). In 2019 they made the initial approach to CIBJO to develop and international standard, when they presented the concept to the CIBJO Congress in Bahrain that year.

Other speakers included Horace Leung, Industry Development Manager of Innofacturing, Hong Kong Science & Technology Park Corporation; Ms Su Jun, director of the Technology and Standardization Department of China’s National Gems & Gemstone Testing Company (NGTC); and Yang Lang, a celebrated Chinese broadcaster and journalist. She concluded the event with a presentation on the use of Fei Cui in jewellery by celebrities, both Chinese and Western, over the years.

Mr. Wong and Dr. Liu traced the history of the development of Fei Cui standard. CIBJO is currently working on a Fei Cui Guide, which it hopes to have ready by the end of 2025.

In other recent developments, the GIA said in March 2024 that they would refer to Fei Cui in their Jade Report. The commonly used trade term “Fei Cui” will be listed in the comments section of the GIA jade report when appropriate, with the explanatory note stating that “Fei Cui” refers to jadeite, omphacite, and kosmochlor.

Mr Leung said that the booming development of the Fei Cui business and the jewellery industry in the past few decades, had triggered the need for the establishment of jewellery standards. “When regional trade expands into international trade, these standards will inevitably move toward internationalization,” he stated.

“Gem labs will apply the standards, and provide test reports together with good services to the customers.”

Under ISO standards, service and testing processes must be clear and understandable, and the technology and test equipment used must be very stable and reliable. “Trust of test reports and services of gem labs in the market and business stem from the transparency and trustworthiness of the processes,” Mr Leung said.

Mr Leung said that it was important to conduct audits by international accreditation bodies to ensure the stability of the quality management system, and help gem laboratories testing Fei Cui to improve and correct operational defects.

As accredited gem labs are subjected to audit and monitoring, their results will be assured and accepted for the internationalisation of the developing Fei Cui standard, he added.