JUNE 13, 2016

While jewellery is a luxury product and non-essential to those who purchase it, the jewellery and gemstone sectors are industries that are essential to the economic and social development of economies and communities around the world, said CIBJO President Gaetano Cavalieri, speaking today at the 15th Rendez-Vous Gemmologiques de Paris in the French capital.

The gathering, which was hosted by the Association Française de Gemmologie, and moderated by its President, Didier Giard, selected this year to review gemstone mines and mining districts around the world, considering the ethics of sustainable development of mining territories and their populations.

“The jewellery business and the revenue it generates are critical to the economic fortunes of many countries around the world, and especially those where diamonds, gemstones and precious metals are mined,” Dr Cavalieri stated, in his address to the opening session. “In those places it is able to create sustainable economic opportunities, which in turn promote and support positive social development.”

“Jewellery, which is typically classed as a luxury product, is to many people symbolic of conspicuous consumption. However, if we would be able to instil in the public consciousness the understanding that, when you purchase an item of jewellery, you also are contributing to the economic wellbeing and social advancement of people living in underdeveloped areas, then the significance of buying and receiving jewellery is elevated – from one of purely personal value to one with societal value as well,” the CIBJO President said.

In his speech, Dr Cavalieri referred to a synthetic diamond producer from the United States, which features a message on its website from the actor Leonardo DiCaprio stating that, by buying a man-made diamond, one will be “reducing the human and environmental toll of the diamond industry by sustainably culturing diamonds without the destructive use of mining.”

“Now, in and of itself, that statement by Mr DiCaprio about the human toll of diamond mining is problematic,” Dr Cavalieri said. “After all, if the only way we can protect people in Africa and elsewhere from the consequences of mining is by cutting them out of the diamond production business entirely, it is indeed a sad state of affairs.”

During the afternoon session Dr Cavalieri participated in a panel discussion about traceability,

ethics, and the sustainable development of mines and mining districts. The other panellists were

Charles Chaussepied, a Piaget director and the former Chairman of the Responsible Jewellery Council; Bertrand Pancher, a Member of the French National Assembly; Jack Cunningham, Group Sustainability Manager at Gemfields; and Hélène Poulit-Duquesne, CEO of Boucheron.

Mr Pancher presented a medal to Dr. Cavalieri on behalf of the French National Assembly, in honour of his contribution to the international jewellery industry, and in particular for the key role that he has played in advancing the principles of Corporate Social Responsibility in the jewellery business.

MAY 3, 2016

CIBJO, the World Jewellery Confederation, will hold its 2016 annual congress in Yerevan, Armenia, October 26-28, 2016, with pre-congress meetings on October 24 and 25.

The congress will be hosted by Armenian Jewellers Association (AJA), a non-governmental organization that since its inception in 1998 has worked to connect Armenian jewellers to their counterparts and markets around the world, and help develop the country’s jewellery industry.

The main venue for the CIBJO Congress is the Meridian Expo Centre and the congress hotel is the Armenia Marriott, located on Yerevan’s Republic Square.

CIBJO Congresses serve as the official gathering place for the World Jewellery Confederation’s Assembly of Delegates, and also are the venue for the annual meetings of CIBJO’s sectoral commissions, where amendments can be introduced to the organisation’s definitive directories of international industry standards for diamonds, coloured stones, pearls, gem labs, precious metals and coral, known as the Blue Books.

The CIBJO Congress is also where the programme of World Jewellery Confederation Education Foundation (WJCEF), relating to responsible and sustainable activities in the industry, and CIBJO’s ongoing cooperation with the United Nations and its development programme is reported upon.

With a history dating back to the 8th century BC, Yerevan is the one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited cities. Located on the banks of the Hrazdan River, it has served as the capital of Armenia since 1918, and is the administrative, cultural, and industrial centre of the country, with just over 35 percent of its population.

“We are most excited to be holding the congress this year in Armenia, which is a country that is a springboard into a host of developing markets in the Near East and Central Asia, and the homeland of a people that for many years has contributed greatly to the international jewellery industry,” said Gaetano Cavalieri, CIBJO President.  “We invite members of the gem and jewellery sectors from around the world to join us in Yerevan, and to participate in our discussions, for the benefit our colleagues, our clients and our stakeholders along the entire chain of distribution.”

A dedicated CIBJO Congress 2016 website will be launched shortly.

APRIL 20, 2016

WJCEF (World Jewellery Confederation Education Foundation), the educational arm of CIBJO, has announced the launch of a six-lesson course on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) for jewellery, diamond, coloured gemstone, pearls, coral and precious metal professionals, in association with Branded Trust Education of Australia.

The online course, called “CSR for the Jewellery Professional” was developed by a team of world-recognized experts specifically for the jewellery, gemstone and precious metals industries, along its entire supply chain. Graduates who successfully complete its requirements will receive a Level 1 Certificate of Accreditation, issued by WJCEF.

“Our goal in developing the course is to enable all members of the industry, at the mining, manufacturing, wholesale and retail levels, from management through to sales staff, to obtain a practical understanding of CSR and sustainability, as it applies to the jewellery business today,” explained Gaetano Cavalieri, the CIBJO and WJCEF President.  “To an ever-increasing degree, a jewellery company is expected to ensure that its staff is CSR-educated and proficient. This course is designed to make that possible.”

Students of the course will access each of the six lessons via a dedicated website, where subject-matter experts will instruct them on a range of key topics. Every lesson includes a video lecture, downloadable readings that at the end of the course can be compiled into a book on CSR, and links to other relevant readings and websites.

At the conclusion of each lesson a student will be given a test to gauge his or her understanding of key terms and concepts, and at the end of the course students will be required to submit an essay. A total assessment score of greater than 60 percent will be required before a student will be awarded the WJCEF Certificate of Recognition.

The six lessons are:

• “Practical Definitions of CSR,” presented by Professor Michael Segun, Director of CSR Studies at the University of Central Queensland, Australia.
• “Major CSR Issues Affecting the Jewellery Industry,” presented by Professor Benedict Sheehy, Professor of Law at the University of Canberra, Australia, and a widely published expert in corporate governance and CSR.
• “The Business Case for CSR,” presented by Marcel Kreis, former Chairman and Managing Director, Private Banking, Credit Suisse Asia-Pacific, current Chairman of the Myer Family Company and CEO and Managing Director of Branded Trust Assurance Systems.
• “Tools and Approaches for Implementing CSR,” presented by Mr. Miguel Popopa Guerrero, and environmental and sustainability engineer, recently with the Mexican Chamber of Industry and now with Branded Trust.
• “Making ‘Green’ Claims and Consumer Protection Law,” by Dr. Donald Feaver, former law professor and now the Chief Technology Officer of Branded Trust Assurance Systems, who is an expert in international and transnational regulatory systems.
• “Professional CSR Accreditation,” presented by Ms. Maria Stradlund, a sustainability consultant from Stockholm, Sweden.

Initially the six-lesson course is being offered only in English. The cost per student is U.S. $300.

For more information and to register for the six-lesson “CSR for the Jewellery Professional” course, go to: http://cibjo-csr.btassurance.com/.