With fewer than two weeks to go to the opening of the 2014 CIBJO Congress in Moscow on May 19, 2014, the seventh of the CIBJO commissions’ Special Reports has been released. Prepared by the CIBJO Pearl Commission, headed by Kenneth Scarratt, the report considers the subject of a unified pearl grading system, which currently is being worked upon within CIBJO and which will be on the agenda of the Pearl Commission, when it meets at the congress on May 20.

“A few pearl grading systems have been developed over the years, both as educational tools and for laboratory reporting,” writes Mr. Scarratt. “Experience has shown that a universal grading system that covers nacreous pearls from all molluscs is a challenging task, as are the interpretation of the results.”

Among the other subject covered in the Pearl Commission Special Report are the separation of natural seed pearls from small non-bead cultured pearls in the Arabian Gulf market, efforts that have been undertaken to obtain natural pearls for scientific and gemmological research, the state of the Australian South Sea cultured pearl industry, recent developments affecting the pearl sector of French Polynesia, and the CIBJO Pearl Blue Book.

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

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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. 

The official hotel is the five-star Hotel Nikol’skaya Kempinski, one of Moscow’s most prestigious establishments, which is offering especially low rates for attendees of the CIBJO congress. Located in an historic building that was constructed in 1870, it is located in the heart of historic Moscow, within short walking distance from the Kremlin, Red Square and the Bolshoi theatre.

With fewer than three weeks to go to the opening of the 2014 CIBJO Congress in Moscow on May 19, 2014, the sixth of the CIBJO commissions’ Special Reports has been released. Prepared by the CIBJO Gemmological Commission, headed by Hanco Zwaan, the report considers how gem labs may act to promote the harmonisation of standards and nomenclature.

“In view of concerns that have been raised about inconsistencies in results presented by laboratories, we have explored how laboratories worldwide could work together and harmonise with the trade, to improve consistency, reliability of information and consumer confidence,” writes Mr. Zwaan. “Closer cooperation between the labs is needed to fight disharmony, because inconsistencies occur in both nomenclature and the reporting of results, for instance in the areas of origin and determination of treatments.”

Among the specific items on the agenda of the CIBJO Gemmological Commission’s meeting in Moscow are the use of colour descriptive terms, such as “pigeon blood red,” “royal blue,” and the nomenclature that should be employed to distinguish hydrophane from stable precious opal.

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

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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. 

The official hotel is the five-star Hotel Nikol’skaya Kempinski, one of Moscow’s most prestigious establishments, which is offering especially low rates for attendees of the CIBJO congress. Located in an historic building that was constructed in 1870, it is located in the heart of historic Moscow, within short walking distance from the Kremlin, Red Square and the Bolshoi theatre.

With fewer than four weeks to go to the opening of the 2014 CIBJO Congress in Moscow on May 19, 2014, the fifth of the CIBJO commissions’ Special Reports has been released. Prepared by the CIBJO Ethics Commission, headed by Cecilia Gardner, the report looks specifically at ethical advertising principles and standards for the gemstone and jewelry sectors.

“We cannot hope to succeed in business unless consumers have trust in our products and the public claims we make about them,” Ms. Gardner writes in her report. “As we typically have done, we must hold ourselves to a higher standard, and by so doing avoid government enforcement or competitor law suits that can arise from deceptive advertising practices.”

Earlier this year, the CIBJO Ethics Commission published a guide called the “Basic Principles of Jewellery Advertising,” explaining the generally applicable standards for fair and honest advertising in all forms of media, including the Internet and social networks. The principles outlined are the same as those which are often enforced by consumer protection laws, or by court cases that set precedent on the subject. The goal of the guide is to instruct how clear, honest and substantiated claims should be made about jewellery products.  It can be downloaded from the CIBJO website.

To elaborate upon the guides, the Ethics Commission will host a workshop during the upcoming CIBJO Congress in Moscow. It will be moderated by Suzan Flamm, Senior Counsel at the Jewelers Vigilance Committee in the United States.

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

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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. 

The official hotel is the five-star Hotel Nikol’skaya Kempinski, one of Moscow’s most prestigious establishments, which is offering especially low rates for attendees of the CIBJO congress. Located in an historic building that was constructed in 1870, it is located in the heart of historic Moscow, within short walking distance from the Kremlin, Red Square and the Bolshoi theatre.

With fewer than five weeks to go to the opening of the 2014 CIBJO Congress in Moscow on May 19, 2014, the fourth of the CIBJO commissions’ Special Reports has been released. Prepared by the CIBJO Coloured Stone Commission, headed by Nilam Alawdeen, the report focusses on the proper disclosure of gemstone treatments and modifications, and in particular about how lead glass-filled rubies should be properly qualified

In his report, Mr. Alawdeen explains that, in the case of heavily glass-filled rubies, CIBJO requires that they be classified as “Ruby and Glass, and described as a “manufactured/composite material or product.” In addition, in order to properly protect consumers, the inherent instability of heavily glass filled rubies and other varieties of corundum should also be conveyed as part of the disclosure requirement.

Relating to the global method of coloured gemstone disclosure that CIBJO, the American Gem Trade Association (AGTA) and the International Colored Stone Association (ICA) agreed upon in 2010, Mr. Alawdeen writes: “The international disclosure coding system has been in existence for four years already, but unfortunately it’s still seldom used. Consequently, this is an opportune time to remind the industry of the need for disclosure and traceability, and that a practical system is available to do this.”

However, adds Mr. Alawdeen, the disclosure codes are meant for the use of the trade and industry only. A more detailed explanation of the treatment or modification must be provided to the consumer.

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

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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. 

The official hotel is the five-star Hotel Nikol’skaya Kempinski, one of Moscow’s most prestigious establishments, which is offering especially low rates for attendees of the CIBJO congress. Located in an historic building that was constructed in 1870, it is located in the heart of historic Moscow, within short walking distance from the Kremlin, Red Square and the Bolshoi theatre.