The new year is likely to be a most significant one in terms of the regulation of minerals from areas of conflict in Africa, including gold.  It involves legislation coming into effect in 2014 that will influence the businesses of thousands of jewellers directly or indirectly supplying the U. S. market, and pending legislation that may affect companies importing or supplying jewellery in the European Union countries.  The impact of these processes will be the subject of a critically important seminar that will take place on Monday, January 20, during the VICENZAORO Winter show in Vicenza.

Entitled “Conflict mineral legislation in the Europe and the United States: How it impacts on both the domestic and export jewellery business,” the seminar is being organised by Fiera di Vicenza, the Responsible Jewellery Council, CIBJO—the World Jewellery Confederation, and Confindustria Federorafi. It will be held on Monday, January 20, 2014, from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM, in the Palladio Room at Fiera di Vicenza. The host of the event, Fiera di Vicenza, was accredited in March 2013, through CIBJO, to plan and implement a United Nations-endorsed Corporate Social Responsibility programme for the international jewellery industry.

According to the conflict mineral rules contained in Section 1502 of the Dodd-Frank Act, publicly-traded companies in the United States, including major jewellery retailers, will for the first time, in 2014, have to file a report with the Security Exchange Commission, tracing their supply chain. Using a nationally or internationally recognized due diligence standard, companies will need to determine whether their supply chain includes gold sourced from the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighbouring countries.

Another legislative proposal on conflict minerals is being developed in the European Union and is being led by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Trade. It is expected to build on existing efforts and guidelines like the OECD Due Diligence Guidance and the U.S. conflict minerals legislation. It is forecast that a formal regulatory proposal will be brought for consideration before the college of EU commissioners early in 2014.

The seminar in Vicenza will include a blue-ribbon panel that will be presented by Corrado Facco, Managing Director of Fiera di Vicenza, and Gaetano Cavalieri, President of CIBJO. The panelists include Marieke van der Mijn, Standards Coordinator at the Responsible Jewellery Council; Michael Allchin, Chief Executive and Assay Master at the Birmingham Assay Office and the President of the CIBJO Precious Metals Commission;  Philip Olden, who is responsible for managing the development and implementation of responsible sourcing protocols for gold at Signet, the world’s largest specialty jewellery retailer; Maria Benedetta Francesconi of the Italian Ministry of Economic Development, and a representative of Confindustria Federorafi.

The main congress venue will be headquarters of the Russian Jewellery Guild. The congress hotel is the 19th Century five-star Hotel Nikol’skaya Kempinski, which is located in the heart of historic Moscow, within short walking distance from the Kremlin, Red Square and the Bolshoi theatre.

Serving as the official venue for the meeting of the CIBJO Assembly of Delegates, the CIBJO Congress will gather in Moscow the members of national jewellery and gemstone associations from more than 40 countries and representatives of many of the industry’s most important commercial bodies. The congress also serves as a forum for CIBJO’s professional commissions, and is the venue at which its Diamond, Coloured Stones, Pearl, Precious Metals and Gemmological Blue Books are discussed and updated.

“We are delighted to accept the generous invitation of the Chairman and Board Members of the Russian Jewellers’ Guild to hold our congress in Moscow,” said Gaetano Cavalieri, President of CIBJO.  “Russia represents the length and breadth of our industry, with massive supplies of raw minerals, diamonds and coloured gemstones, a fast developing jewellery industry, and one of the world’s most exciting jewellery markets. The congress will provide an invaluable opportunity to explore the new frontiers it offers our business, and also to visit this fascinating city and country. ”

“The Russian jewellery community looks forward to the opportunity of welcoming our colleagues from around the world, and introducing them to our industry and our market” said Gagik Gevorkyan, Chairman of the Russian Jewellers’ Guild. “We will do our utmost to provide them with a perspective of our history, presence and exciting future, and we strongly suggest that they use the opportunity explore one of the world’s great cities.”

A dedicated website for CIBJO Congress 2014 will be launched in the coming few weeks, providing updated information about the event, and enabling online registration and the booking of hotel accommodation.

The Borsa Diamanti d’Italia, Italy’s only diamond exchange, has honoured the CIBJO President, Dr. Gaetano Cavalieri, bestowing upon him honorary life membership at a ceremony conducted at the bourses’ headquarters in Milan.

Founded in 1926, Borsa Diamanti d’Italia is one of the world’s older diamond exchanges, gathering under its roof diamond and coloured gemstone traders, as well as representatives of the Italian jewellery industry. It has been a member of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses since 1954.

“It is our privilege to be able to honour Dr. Cavalieri, who is both a friend and a role model for our industry,” said Moussa Sians, President of the Borsa Diamanti d’Italia. “The wellbeing of the diamond and gemstone business is greatly dependent upon the health and strength of the jewellery business, and consequently we strongly support the role played by CIBJO both in Italy and internationally. In awarding him with life membership we wish to express our appreciation for what he and CIBJO have done and will continue to do on behalf of our community.”

“It is my privilege to be recognised as a member of the Borsa Diamanti d’Italia, and I salute the diamond exchange and its members, personally and on CIBJO’s behalf,” said Dr. Cavalieri. “It is difficult to underestimate the importance of cooperation between the diamond and jewellery sectors, which ultimately are part of the same family.”

Photo (above): CIBJO President Gaetano Cavalieri (centre), being presented with honorary life membership in the Borsa Diamanti d’Italia by Moussa Sians (left), the bourse’s president, and Luigi Cosma, the bourse’s vice president.

Photo (below): CIBJO President Gaetano Cavalieri joined by members of the board of directors of the Borsa Diamanti d’Italia.

CIBJO President Gaetano Cavalieri has participated as a guest of honour at the 2013 Yerevan Jewellery Show in Armenia, and during his visit addressed a conference that looked at the current prospects and challenges for jewellery production in the country.

The Yerevan Jewellery Show, which took place October 28-30 in the Armenian capital, is being developed by the Armenian Jewellery Association (AJA) as a key platform for the country’s growing jewellery sector, which is drawing on the support and experience of members of the Armenian diaspora, who are active in jewellery centres around the world. The show featured 125 local and international exhibitors, including CIBJO, and it drew 140 foreign buyers.

The trade fair and the industry enjoy strong government support, with the show being opened by the President of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan, who was joined by country’s first lady.  The opening ceremony took place immediately following Jeweller’s National Day, which is a holiday established by a decree of the Government of Armenia.

A keynote event at the show was a conference focusing on the challenges and prospects for jewellery production in Armenia. During the conference, which also was addressed by the CIBJO President, AJA’s Chairman Gagik Gevorkian provided details on a project to establish a jewellery Free Economic Zone in Yerevan, which will serve the regional markets both in Europe and Asia.

“Armenia is terrific example of how cooperation and dedication can transform the jewellery sector into a national asset, which will contribute substantially to the health of the economy, creating revenues, jobs and social benefits,” said Dr. Cavalieri. “Jewellery manufacturing has been an integral part of the Armenian culture and identity for centuries, and today with the support of government and the involvement of Armenian peoples from around the world it, the entire country will reap its benefit.

Photo Caption: CIBJO President Gaetano Cavalieri (far right) on the podium during the jewellery conference in Yerevan. He is joined (from left) by Pierre Akkelian of Canada, head of the AJA Foundation; Hranush Hakobyan, Minister of Diaspora of the Republic of Armenia; and Gagik Gevorkian, Chairman of the Armenian Jewellers Association.

Leading UK jewellery industry event International Jewellery London has been accepted as a commercial member of CIBJO, the World Jewellery Confederation, and as such becomes the first jewellery show from the United Kingdom to gain such representation in the international body.

CIBJO President Gaetano Cavalieri expressed his happiness at being able to welcome Reed Exhibitions’ IJL into the organisation, noting that as an important trade show in a prominent jewellery market it can play a key role in supporting the industry both in Britain and internationally.

“I am delighted to welcome IJL into our fold. CIBJO recognises trade shows as the primary gathering places for our sector, providing not only opportunities for promoting business, but also forums at which we can discuss and address common issues and challenges,” Dr. Cavalieri said. “IJL has long served to bring together members of the trade from across the UK, Europe and internationally, and in this respect it is ideally positioned to advance CIBJO programmes relating to harmonised industry standards, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and consumer confidence.”

Said IJL Event Director Sam Willoughby: “IJL already has very strong industry links and is seen as a show where partnerships are forged, announcements made and business progressed. It makes absolute sense for IJL to become a member of CIBJO, with its history and focus on supporting individuals and companies earning their livelihoods from jewellery, gemstones and precious metals.

“IJL will be able to reflect the views of the UK and contribute to developing (CSR) throughout the global jewellery industry. We fully support the work that CIBJO undertakes for the future security and development of the industry on an international scale.”

CIBJO already has links with IJL and, just last month at the UK’s flagship trade show signed a memorandum of understanding with the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC).

Gaetano Cavalieri, joined government officials, senior industry representatives and leading gemmologists from around the world at a conference in Paris last week, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the founding of l’Association Française de Gemmologie (AFG), the French Gemmological Association.

In an address to the gathering, Dr, Cavalieri credited AFG and the gemmologial community of enhancing the confidence of consumers in jewellery and the jewellery industry, through their efforts to advance the principles of full transparency and disclosure.

“Consumer confidence is the platform on which we stand. If it becomes fragile and collapses, so will we,” he stated, wishing AFG, its president, Didier Giard, and its Council of Administration, “ many more years of serving as one of the buttresses of the foundation on which we all stand.”

“Your ability to keep abreast of developments in the marketplace and the minefields, to conduct proper and disciplined scientific research, to publish and disseminate what you have learned, and then to serve the industry through gem identification and grading is absolutely essential,” Dr. Cavalieri stated. “We are dependent upon your professional integrity, the quality of your research and the way in which you organise and operate your laboratories. You hold the reputation of our business in the palms of your hands. It is a privilege and also a great responsibility.”

The CIBJO President called on the participants at the participants and the conference to contribute to the review and maintenance of the CIBJO Blue Books, which he described as “the most universally recognised and accepted set of jewellery and gemstone standards in the world.”

PHOTO CAPTION (ABOVE): CIBJO President Gaetano Cavalieri addressing the 50th anniversary gemmological conference of l’Association Française de Gemmologie.

PHOTO CAPTION (CENTRE): CIBJO President Gaetano Cavalieri (left) looks on, as AFG President Didier Giard addresses the gathering.

PHOTO CAPTION (BELOW): Participants at the gemmological conference, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the l’Association Française de Gemmologie, in Paris.