SEPTEMBER 6, 2017

With fewer than nine weeks to go to the opening of the 2017 CIBJO Congress in Bangkok, Thailand, on November 5, 2017, the first of the CIBJO commissions’ Special Reports has been released. Prepared by the CIBJO Marketing & Education Commission, headed by Jonathan Kendall, the report focuses on human resource management in the jewellery business, and more specifically discusses recruitment and the methods necessary to maintain and fortify a winning team of employees.

“The honest truth is we don’t spend enough time on our greatest asset, our people,” writes Mr. Kendall. “But it is almost certainly where we should be expending a major portion of our attention. Good decisions will spell success, but bad decisions about people can have far-reaching and negative consequences.”

At the 2017 CIBJO Congress in Bangkok, the Marketing & Education Commission will be releasing a guide, authored by Mr. Kendall, called People, Our Greatest Asset. Providing valuable HR management information, as well as set of tools, forms and templates, the publication answers a number of questions that any jewellery and gemstone business has to ask itself on a regular basis, such as what creates motivated and contributing employees, how do reward and recognition programmes raise employee motivation, and how can you retain top quality staff?

Following the launch of “People, Our Greatest Asset” guide at the CIBJO Congress, it will be made available for general downloading via the CIBJO website.

To download a full copy of the CIBJO Market & Education Commission’s special report, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

The 2017 CIBJO Congress will take place in Bangkok, Thailand, November 5-7, with pre-congress meetings on November 2 and 3, and the World Ruby Forum taking place on November 4.

 Hosting the CIBJO Congress 2017 are the Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP) and the Gem and Jewellery Institute of Thailand (GIT), both of which fall under the jurisdiction of the Thai Ministry of Commerce.

 The official venue and hotel of the CIBJO Congress 2017 is the Shangri-La Bangkok.    

More information is available and registration possible on the dedicated CIBJO Congress website at: http://www.cibjo.org/congress2017/.   

SEPTEMBER 5, 2017

With support growing for an international system that will monitor the responsible sourcing of coloured gemstones, CIBJO President Gaetano Cavalieri has discussed possible alternatives that also will meet the requirements of smaller-scale miners. He did so during a visit to Colombia, in talks with representatives of the country’s government and industry.

Dr. Cavalieri was visiting Colombia at the invitation of Jorge Martín, President of Expojoyas Colombia, the organizer of the country’s leading jewellery and gemstone trade fair, and the Chamber of Commerce of Bogotá

“What was apparent both from the thoughts expressed by officials from the Ministry of Mines and Energy of Colombia, as well as representatives of the local mining, coloured gemstones and jewellery trades, there is a readiness to consider a structured system that will help monitor the chain of supply, on condition that it does not compromise the basic interests of individuals and communities that are dependent on the revenues and jobs provided by small-scale mining,” Dr. Cavalieri said.

“The task of developing a viable international system that can monitor the coloured gemstone industry, where upwards of 80 percent of rough output is produced by small-scale and artisanal miners, will be made considerably easier if we can do so with the cooperation of government, community and business leaders in the producing countries,” Dr. Cavalieri continued. “After visiting Colombia, I am more convinced than ever that this is possible, but it will require maintaining a spirit of goodwill. Attempts to push through solutions without consulting the people on the ground, who ultimately will be those most affected, almost certainly will be counterproductive.”

During his four-day visit to Colombia, Dr. Cavalieri visited the Porvenir emerald mine, near the town of Chivor, which is 160 kilometres from Bogotá in the State of Boyaca. There he met with the small-scale mine’s owner, the mayor of Chivor and local business leaders, who stressed the importance of the gemstone mining sector to the life and wellbeing of local inhabitants.“It was an enlightening experience,” Dr. Cavalieri said. “These are people who have a vested interest in the integrity of their business and also in continuing economic opportunities in their community. Increasingly they realize that the two are interlinked.”

During his discussions in Colombia, Dr. Cavalieri stressed CIBJO’s support towards attaining a viable and sustainable system for monitoring responsible sourcing in the coloured gemstone sector. He said that possible solutions will be discussed at the 2017 CIBJO Congress, which is scheduled to take place in Bangkok, Thailand, from November 5 though November 7, 2017.

CIBJO President Gaetano Cavalieri (centre), during a panel discussion with jewellery industry and business leaders in Bogotá. He is flanked (from left) by Patricia de Brugger; Jorge Martín, President of Expojoyas Colombia; Camilo Lievano, Business Director of the Chamber of Commerce of Bogotá; and Mario Fontalvo, Director of the Jewelry Cluster of the Chamber of Commerce of Bogotá.

JULY 20, 2017

After four years of discussion and deliberation, in May 2017 the European Council and European Parliament provided overwhelming approval to Regulation (EU) 2017/821, which will regulate minerals from conflict areas into the European Union. The new legislation will significantly impact the operating procedures of jewellery companies in the European Union, as well as companies that supply them from outside the EU.

On Sunday, September 24, 2017, CIBJO, the World Jewellery Confederation, and the Italian Exhibition Group, will present a seminar to provide members of the jewellery trade background on the new legislation and its impact, and present strategies for incorporating the new regulations in their businesses. The seminar will take place at Fiera di Vicenza on the second day of the VICENZAORO September jewellery show, from 10:30 AM to 1:00 PM.

The new EU regulation imposes certain due diligence obligations upon companies importing gold, tin, tantalum or tungsten from conflict-affected and high-risk areas. It becomes the third major regulatory framework impacting the jewellery industry, joining the Kimberley Process, which focuses on the rough diamond trade, and the Section 1508 of the United States’ Dodd Frank Act, which also regulates the 3Ts and gold.

While the legislation has already been approved, the EU lawmakers provided a four-year phase-in period, which gives companies until January 1, 2021, to adopt the due diligence and other procedures that are part of its requirements. The EU also ruled that the regulation will apply to all metal and mineral importers whose annual import volumes are above a threshold amount, with the threshold set so at least 95 percent of the total imported volumes into the region of each metal and mineral will be subject to the regulations. This means that companies only importing small amounts of gold will be exempted from the provisions of the legislation, although it is advised that all companies become familiar with its requirements.

According to the new law, European importers of gold above the threshold will need to apply due diligence steps that must be consistent a due diligence scheme that is approved by the European Commission. That could include the chain of custody standards of the Responsible Jewellery Council or the London Bullion Market Association.

The seminar in Vicenza on September 24 will feature a blue-ribbon panel of expert speakers, representing the European Union, the European precious metals industry, industry standards-setting and monitoring organisations. Presentation will be made in English, and a simultaneous translation into Italian will be provided.

“This is an extremely important seminar,” said Gaetano Cavalieri, President of CIBJO. “The new EU regulations are going to affect a substantial number of the jewellery companies doing business in Europe, and it imperative that they be properly prepared. Our goal is to provide a them with an initial roadmap, and to present the various alternatives that they will have at their disposal.”
The seminar 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.