SEPTEMBER 10, 2019

With members of the jewellery and gemstone sectors under growing pressure to actively demonstrate that they are conducting their businesses in a sustainable manner, including verifying that the items they purchase, process and sell have been sourced responsibly, a range of technological solutions are currently being developed to help them comply with the due diligence requirements. These came under the spotlight during a seminar on September 9, 2019, at the VICENZAORO show in Vicenza, Italy, organized by CIBJO and hosted by the Italian Exhibition Group (IEG).

The seminar was the latest edition in a series of educational programmes organized by the two bodies, which is endorsed by the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), to support Corporate Social Responsibility and sustainability in the jewellery sector. As, Marco Carniello, Director of IEG’s Jewellery and Fashion Division, pointed out, the seminar this September marked the 10th year of cooperation between CIBJO and Italy’s leading jewellery trade show organizer.

But in an industry that is dominated by small and medium-sized companies, many participants find it challenging to follow suit and consequently could experience difficulty in gaining access to chains of supply. The technologies discussed at the seminar are largely being developed to address these challenges.

“CIBJO is committed to the development of an ethical and sustainable jewellery industry, which sources its raw materials in both a responsible and transparent manner,” said CIBJO President Gaetano Cavalieri, opening the seminar. “As we reiterated in the new Responsible Sourcing Blue Book which was approved earlier this year, we believe that all participants should do due diligence to the best of their ability. At the same time, we also insist that no ethical members of our community be discriminated against because they currently lack the resources necessary to implement a full compliance system. It is for this reason that we view the development of technological solutions as being so important.”

The panel of speakers, which was moderated by Erik Jens, vice president of CIBJO’s Responsible Sourcing Commission, represented a cross section of this growing industry service sector, providing solutions to industry participants at all stages of the chain of distribution, from the mine to the retailer.

The panel included:

AUGUST 12, 2019

All participants in the jewellery and gemstone value chain will need to come to terms with the fact that basic due diligence demonstrating that they are sourcing their supply responsibly is becoming is a regular requirement for doing business, said Gaetano Cavalieri, President of CIBJO, speaking last week in Mumbai. At the same time, he added, the systems being developed must be inclusive, meaning that they cannot discriminate against ethical players because of their size or financial capacity.

The CIBJO President was speaking on August 7, during the opening day of the 2019 Advances in Gem & Diamond Detection Technology (AGDDT) symposium, organised by the Gemmological Institute of India. The event at the Bombay Exhibition Centre preceded the opening of the India International Jewellery Show (IIJS), in which Dr. Cavalieri participated the following day. He also joined an AGDDT panel discussion looking at measures that should be taken by the industry to successfully absorb laboratory-grown diamonds into the product mix, without compromising the position of naturally sourced diamonds.

In his presentation on August 7, Dr. Cavalieri focused specifically on the predicament faced by the coloured gemstone sector, which is dominated by small and medium-sized enterprises at almost all stages of the chain of distribution. “In diamonds,” he stated, “close to 80 percent of the volume of rough goods are mined by only seven companies, and more than 90 percent in terms of value. In the coloured stone sector the situation is reversed. Artisanal and small-scale miners account for more than 80 percent of production, both in terms of volume and value.”

A basic premise of CIBJO’s Responsible Sourcing Blue Book, which was approved by the CIBJO Board of Directors early in 2019, he said, was that it would be a “protocol that could be universally accepted by larger and smaller enterprises, which would meet the ethical standards that our industry expects from itself, and at the same time is acceptable from the perspective of the international community.”

“An operating principle of the Responsible Sourcing document was that it would be inclusive, meaning that there is an expectation that the standards, guidelines and systems that it describes can reasonably be applied by all members of the industry, irrespective of size or financial capacity,”he stressed.

In his presenation, Dr. Cavalieri outlined how CIBJO is developing tools and other materials, in cooperation with industry players, which are  designed to assist individuals, companies and organisations apply the principles contained in the CIBJO Responsible Sourcing Book, with a special emphasis on meeting the needs of small and medium-sized enterprises.

In April, during the OECD precious minerals forum in Paris, CIBJO signed an MOU with the Coloured Gemstone Working Group, which is a committee made up of representatives of Tiffany & Co., Swarovski, Richemont, Muzo Companies, LVMH, Kering, and Gemfields, facilitated by The Dragonfly Initiative. The goal is to produce an online suite of tools and resources that will be made available free of charge from an online platform, which essentially will enable companies to implement the principles outlined in the Responsible Sourcing Blue Book.

“We do not agree with those who contend that, only because of  company’s size, it should be given a free pass when it comes to responsible sourcing,” Dr. Cavalieri said. “Just as there are basic standards of practice when it comes to grading and disclosure, which all members of our industry are obliged to maintain, the same is true with responsible sourcing. Everyone can do something, to the best of their ability.”

“Let us be honest with ourselves,” he continued. “The demand that we document where goods come from and where they are going is not unreasonable. Your governments expect each and every one of you to maintain orderly books and follow basic accounting practices. In other words, you are already doing due diligence in your businesses.”

JULY 18, 2019

Speaking at a meeting of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), which took place during the United Nation’s 2019 High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in New York, CIBJO President Gaetano Cavalieri has advocated for the position of small and medium-sized enterprises. Sustainable economies rely on the contribution of SMEs, he said, but too often they find themselves operating at a severe disadvantage when compared to larger companies.

The High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), which currently is underway at UN headquarters in New York, is the international body’s main platform for monitoring follow-up on the actions of states and other actors towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Echoing the 2019 HLPF’s theme of “Empowering people, ensuring inclusiveness and equality,” the CIBJO President stressed that ways must be found to raise the involvement of all players in the business sector in capacity-building and sustainable development.  Remaining inclusive, he said, means not disadvantaging SMEs.

Opening the HLPF session the day before, UN Secretary General António Guterres had said that the world’s people are demanding “transformative change that is fair and sustainable.”

“The evidence is clear,” the UN Secretary General stated, “development is not sustainable if it is not fair and inclusive – and rising inequality hinders long-term growth.”

CIBJO was attending the HLPF in its capacity as the international jewellery sector’s representative in the UN’s Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), which is one of the six main organs of the United Nations and is the principal body for coordinating policy review, dialogue and recommendations on economic, social and environmental issues, as well as for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. CIBJO was awarded special consultative status in ECOSOC in 2006, and that same year joined the UN Global Compact, which the global network of sustainable companies and organisations that pledge to  align their strategies and operations with basic principle on human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption.