The requirement that all jewellery components be shown to have been responsibly and ethically sourced, handled and traded has become a central tenet of the luxury markets in the 21st Century, and it has led to the development of a service sector that provides the means and methods of ensuring the integrity of the supply chain. Compliance with accepted codes of practice is increasingly becoming a condition for doing business with some of the largest companies in the business.

For many members of the jewellery industry, the process of implementing and verifying compliance with codes of ethical practice can be daunting, and is a source of considerable anxiety. This is particularly the case with smaller and medium-sized companies, where the cost and effort of meeting requirements is perceived to be restrictive. To address such concerns and to provide a practical roadmap for businesses seeking to meet the challenge, the Italian Exhibition Group, CIBJO and Club degli Orafi will host a seminar during the VICENZAORO January trade show at Fiera di Vicenza. It will be the latest in a series of educational events organized by CIBJO and the Italian Exhibition Group, which is part of their programme, endorsed by the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), to support Corporate Social Responsibility and sustainability in the jewellery sector.

Entitled “Defending the Integrity of Jewellery’s Supply Chain,” the seminar will take place on Sunday, January 22, 2017, from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM, in Room Tiziano B ( Hall 7.1) of the Fiera di Vicenza exhibition centre. Presented both in English and Italian, the moderator will be Dr. Gaetano Cavalieri, President of CIBJO.

Featuring a blue-panel ribbon of speakers, the seminar will deal with the practicalities of ensuring the integrity of the jewellery supply chain, from mine to market, covering the subjects of standards and codes of practice, third-party monitoring and auditing, and the certification of compliant companies. Among the organisations represented will be leading members of the responsible supply chain service sector, including the Responsible Jewellery Council, a key international standards-setting and certification organisation for the jewellery industry, and UL, one of the world’s largest providers of supply chain auditing and monitoring services. A special focus will be supply chain integrity in the precious metals sector.

Seminar speakers and panel members will include:

• Gaetano Cavalieri, President of CIBJO
• Matteo Marzotto, Vice Executive President of the Italian Exhibition Group
• Gabriele Aprea, President of Club degli Orafi
• Wilfried Hoerner, Chairman of the Responsible Jewellery Council and co-CEO at Argor-Heraeus SA, a leading Swiss precious metals refiner
• Andrew Bone, Executive Director of the of the Responsible Jewellery Council
• Francesca Angeloni, Business Development Manager for the Jewelry and Watch Industry in Europe at UL Consumer and Retail Services
• Daphne Guelker, Responsible Sourcing Program Manager at UL Consumer and Retail Services
• Marco Quadri, Director of Industrial Products at Argor-Heraeus SA

Gaetano Cavalieri, CIBJO President: “In the jewellery industry, where we work daily with precious objects, our reputation ultimately is our most valuable asset of all. Indeed, if our reputation is discounted, then so is everything else we do. And in today’s business environment, it is not enough just to do the right thing; you must be seen to be doing the right thing as well – not only to defend your own reputation, but also those of your colleagues up and down the chain of distribution. How practically to do that, in a fair and reasonable manner, will be the subject of this extremely important seminar.”

Matteo Marzotto, Vice Executive President: “The principles of CSR and sustainability in the gold and jewellery industries are constant themes at VICENZAORO, but this January’s show is focussing specifically on ‘Responsible Gold.’  The goal of the show, and particularly of the responsible-sourcing seminar on January 22, is not simply to pay lip-service to the concept, but to provide participants and visitors at the show with the knowledge and tools necessary to meet both the industry’s and the consumer’s expectations. For us at the Italian Exhibition Group, it is most appropriate that just 10 days earlier, we received through CIBJO formal recognition from the United Nation’s Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) for the important work that is being done in this regard.”

The VICENZAORO January show will take place in Vicenza from January 20 to January 25, 2017. It is organised by the Italian Exhibition Group Spa (IEG), the new trade show company created through the merger between Rimini Fiera and Fiera di Vicenza.