CIBJO presented its updated Jade Guide, harmonising standards and nomenclature, the Fei Cui Working Group reported at the 2026 Centenary CIBJO Congress. The session was chared by Ken Wong, Managing Director of the Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group.

“A well-balanced global understanding of the jades and the underpinning culture” was a key focus of the Guide, Kenneth Scarratt, a leading architect of the Guide and president of Sector A, said in a presentation to the plenary on September 6.

The work to update the Guide involved heated debate over definitions of terms, including trade names and terminology for treatments.

“Where did we get most arguments? — Definition,” Scarratt said.

CIBJO President Gaetano Cavalieri commended the work of the Fei Cui Working Group.

“The industry around the world will be thankful as it digests the full impact of this work,” he said.

CIBJO plans to establish a Jade Forum, he added, without giving details.

Jade and jadeite are second only to diamonds in terms of turnover in the gemstone and jewellery industry.

Fei Cui Working Group members spoke of the challenges and achievements involved in developing the Jade Guide.

“We have an unbelievable Guide, including Eastern and Western viewpoints, and I hope it will be valued in the future,” Charles Abouchar, who heads the CIBJO Coloured Gemstone Commission, said.

In an address, Su Jun, director of the Technology and Standardisation Department of the NGTC and a member of the Fei Cui Working Group, outlined the history of the development of jade and jade standardisation in China, including the standardised use of trade terms and names.

“NGTC looks forward to deeper international cooperation in research,” she said.

Jade expert Professor Edward Liu spoke of regional harmonisation and laboratory consensus in the development of the Jade Guide, including translation and nomenclature challenges.

“Our testing standards must match perfectly to eliminate inconsistent lab results, in order to protect consumers,” he said.

“The result must be the same.

“Regional harmonisation is no longer optional: it is the prerequisite for the sustainable growth of the Fei Cui trade.”

The latest version of the Jade Guide will be published on the CIBJO website after the Congress, Mr Scarratt said.

“The baseline now is clear,” he added.

“The Guide is educational: it is very important that we have a good understanding of jade. This is not a marketing document.”