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.

JULY 15, 2019

Properly managed pearl farms offer real opportunities to individuals and communities living on small islands in the South Pacific and Indian Oceans, both from an economic perspective and in terms of protecting the marine environment, said Tiffany Stevens, President of CIBJO’s Ethics Commission during the 2019 Global Multi-Stakeholder SIDS Partnership Dialogue, which was held at the United Nations in New York on July 10. Indeed, she added, for a cultured pearl farm to become an economically sustainable asset, it is essential that it also be operated in an environmentally sustainable manner.

Ms. Stevens, who additionally is President and CEO of the Jewelers Vigilance Committee, the New York-based organisation that provides legal advice, education and self-regulation services to jewellers and other members of the American jewellery industry, was speaking at the gathering on behalf of CIBJO President Gaetano Cavalieri.

What has been learned over the years, she added, is that when it comes to cultured pearls environmental, social and economic sustainability are inexorably linked.

“Over the course of its lifespan, the oysters of the most commonly used species are able to produce three cultured pearls,” she explained. “The quality of these pearls will be a direct result of the conditions of the water in which the oysters are kept, and the length of the gestation period, during which nacre forms around the irritant nucleus that has been placed in the animal. If the environment is pristine, and the pearl is provided adequate time to mature under water, the chances of obtaining a higher-value product will increase substantially.”

But, she noted, the cost of maintaining an optimal pearl-farming environment can be substantial, meaning that it is essential that the pearl farmers receive an adequate share of the revenues they produce, in order to encourage them to operate appropriately.

Ms. Stevens pointed to a project that Dr. Cavalieri was involved in several years ago, sponsored by the Government of French Polynesia, to reverse what had become a downward spiral in the average quality of pearls being produced by the country. What was discovered was that for farmers working under economic distress there was little incentive to invest in producing a better product. They attempted to generate more income by cutting corners in the management of the marine environment, and by reducing the gestation period of the pearls. This meant a continuing reduction in the quality of the product and the environment.

The lessons learned from the Polynesian experience were applied when CIBJO was invited to consult with the Government of Fiji and the country’s Fiji Pearl Farmers’ Association in the creation of a national plan to increase the size of the island’s pearl sector, while optimising the benefits provided to the country and its people. “The plan that was drawn up called for a community-based, pearl farming industry to enhance the effectiveness of locally-managed marine areas, integrate coastal management and land and sea management programmes, while also creating meaningful employment and income-generating opportunities for indigenous communities,” Ms. Steven said.

Speaking to the gathering, the Ambassador of Fiji also referred to CIBJO’s support of sustainable pearl farming, insisting that all partnerships matter and no small-island developing states should be left behind.

To download a copy of Ms. Steven’s full speech to the 2019 Global Multi-Stakeholder SIDS Partnership Dialogue, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

MAY 27, 2019

Addressing the opening ceremony of the 7th European Gemmological Symposium in Idar-Oberstein, Germany, on May 25, CIBJO President Gaetano Cavalieri called on the world’s gemmological community to participate through CIBJO in the creation of harmonised sets of grading standards, practices and nomenclature, as part of an international effort to ensure the integrity of the jewellery market and to maintain consumer confidence.

“We are not a commercial organisation, but our mission is to promote a business environment in which commercial organisations can optimise their effectiveness and revenues,” he stated. “And to do that over the long term, we believe it is essential that our working environment is responsible, fair and ethical. If this is not the case, in a luxury product industry like ours the viability of our business will be threatened and we will run the risk of losing consumer confidence, which in this type of business is unthinkable.”

Dr. Cavalieri paid special tribute to the conference organisers, the German Gemmological Association and the German Foundation for Gemstone Research, the DSEF German Gem Lab, as well as to Dr. Thomas Lind, the association’s President and Chaiman of the Board of Directors of DSEF, and Dr. Claudio Milisenda, DSEF’s Director. The conference in Idar-Oberstein provided an opportunity to celebrate the 50th anniversary since the founding of DSEF. Interestingly, when the first European Gemmological Symposium took place in 2007, it also was in Idar-Oberstein and the German Gemmological Association was celebrating the 75th anniversary of its establishment.

“Generally, when I am invited to address occasions like this, I take time to point out that the important work done by CIBJO is entirely dependent on it its members, and their readiness to contribute knowledge and expertise for the benefit our international community. I usually point out that if you want to make a difference, then you need to take part in the process. No such call is necessary today, because individuals like Thomas and Claudio, and many other German friends have made very significant contributions, not only to CIBJO but other industry bodies, in gemmology, gemstones, diamonds, precious metals, and the development of responsible business standards, he stated.

Dr. Lind currently serves as Vice President of CIBJO’s Sector A, which is the division of the organisation that oversees all activities related to gems materials, and Dr. Milisenda serves as Vice President of CIBJO’s Gemmological Commission.

“To create a proper work environment, we need to need to be fully transparent in the way we operate our businesses and about what we sell, and, when that environment is international, we need to be sure that our counterparts always understand what we are saying,” Dr. Cavalieri noted. This makes the harmonisation of standards and nomenclature a critical necessity. When a common business language is in place, and its rules and terms are publicly available, then we have the necessary elements to work together, to trust one another and to properly serve our consumers.”

To download a copy of Dr. Cavalieri’s full speech to the 7th European Gemmological Symposium, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

MAY 22, 2019

Registration for the 2019 congress of CIBJO, the World Jewellery Confederation, is now open. Delegates and other participants may register for the congress via a dedicated congress website located at: http://www.cibjo.org/congress2019.

CIBJO’s 2019 annual congress will take place in Manama, the capital of the Kingdom of Bahrain, from November 18 to November 20, with pre-congress meetings beginning on November 16. It is being organised by DANAT, the Bahrain Institute for Pearls and Gemstones. The venue for the event is the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay.

The dedicated website includes the congress programme, the various congress venues, important travel information, background information about Bahrain, news and photo galleries. An online registration form for the congress is available, and, since the CIBJO Congress 2019 will be a carbon neutral event, participants are also requested to complete a carbon foot-printing form. A registration form for the programme organised for accompanying persons will be added shortly.

Upon registering, CIBJO Congress will also be able to book hotel rooms using links provided on the dedicated website, both for the official congress hotel, the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, and the alternate hotel, the Wyndham Grand Manama, which is located within walking distance from the official venue.

CIBJO Congresses serve as the 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 coral and responsible sourcing, 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 its ongoing cooperation with the United Nations is reported upon.

MAY 21, 2019

CIBJO, the World Jewellery Confederation, and the Coloured Gemstone Working Group (CGWG) facilitated by the Dragonfly Initiative (TDI) have announced a new collaboration to strengthen and disseminate tools and resources for the responsible sourcing of coloured gemstones, to support a transparent, sustainable and vibrant coloured gemstone industry. It is intended that the tools and resources being developed will also be applicable, where possible, in other sectors of the wider jewellery industry.

The two organisations are planning to make a suite of tools and resources downloadable free of charge from an online platform. The objective is that they will support any company, irrespective of its size, geographic location or financial capacity, in conducting due diligence of their supply chains.

CIBJO is an association of national jewellery associations and commercial bodies involved in the jewellery industry dedicated to the harmonisation of standards and nomenclature, and the promotion of responsible business practices through jewellery industry supply chains. In January 2019, the Board of Directors of CIBJO approved the first edition of the Responsible Sourcing Book, which provides a framework and guidance for due diligence related to the responsible sourcing of gemstones and precious metals in the jewellery sector.

The CGWG comprises Tiffany & Co., Swarovski, Richemont, Muzo Companies, LVMH, Kering, and Gemfields and has been facilitated by The Dragonfly Initiative since 2015. The Dragonfly Initiative (“TDI”) is an advisory firm established to support businesses in precious metals, gemstones and raw materials’ value chains to work collaboratively, and for mutual benefit, to realise an environmentally, economically and socially responsible system of connected enterprises. The CGWG’s goal is to provide the necessary business tools and resources to enable all members of the coloured gemstone industry to embed sustainability into their organisations and in their decisions for the sourcing of gemstones.

Coloured gemstones are unique, as are the businesses and people who work to recover, cut, polish and manufacture the jewellery in which they are set. It is imperative that, as standards of corporate accountability, labour practices, environmental protection and good governance across the industry are raised, they are done so while protecting the traditions, crafts and livelihoods of all who work in and depend on it.

On April 23, 2019, against the backdrop of the OECD Responsible Minerals Forum in Paris, CIBJO and the CGWG signed a Memorandum of Understanding, according to which they committed to jointly developing management tools and resources that will help businesses of all sizes and activities in the industry implement best practices for responsible sourcing. The objectives of the joint cooperation include:

1. Mutual support in the development and implementation of CIBJO’s Responsible Sourcing Blue Book;
2. Development and publication of a practical “toolkit” that will help small companies with their implementation of the guidance in the CIBJO Blue Book through a dedicated online resource platform hosted and managed by TDI; and
3. Development of educational and promotional programmes for the CIBJO Blue Book and the toolkit, aimed at informing stakeholders about the CIBJO Blue Book.

Speaking at the signing of the MOU, CIBJO President Dr. Gaetano Cavalieri commented: “What we are accomplishing through this agreement goes beyond making declarative statements about the need to practice responsible sourcing; it also provides members of our industry, and especially the many small and medium-sized companies of which we are predominantly comprised, practical means of getting the job done. We have long contended that supply chain integrity should not become an artificial barrier of entry into the business, and that support  must be extended to all ethical players. That is exactly what we will be doing.”

Dr. Assheton Stewart Carter, CEO of The Dragonfly Initiative and representing the eight brands and mining companies of the CGWG, said: “The responsible sourcing movement is a powerful force that has the potential to bring transformative change and improve the lives of many people deep in the coloured gemstone supply chain. The objective must be to democratise sustainability, so it is accessible to even the smallest businesses and individual crafts people. To have a truly sustainable footprint, industry collaboration is the only way forward. The CGWG has taken a step to provide the tools and information to help achieve this goal, but it is only the first step. The next steps in this journey need to be taken in tandem with others and we are thrilled, therefore, to be working with CIBJO on this important initiative.”

Anisa Kamadoli Costa, Chief Sustainability Officer of Tiffany & Co., said: “Tiffany & Co. is proud to be a member of the CGWG, which came together to address social and environmental issues in the sourcing of coloured gemstones and identify opportunities to strengthen responsible practices along the entire value chain. At Tiffany & Co., we believe that a key objective of this work is to embed sustainability throughout the coloured gemstone industry by creating resources, tools and best practice guidance for the thousands of small and medium companies along the supply chain. Along with the other members of the CGWG, we are pleased to be partnering with CIBJO to help empower these suppliers to advance responsible practices in their own operations and, ultimately, to have a positive impact on workers, local communities and the environment.”

Claire Piroddi, Sustainability Manager Watches and Jewellery at Kering, noted: “At Kering, we think that, if we want to change the status quo around responsible sourcing, collaboration is key. While we are focusing on understanding the risks and sustainable development opportunities in our supply chain, we want to leverage our knowledge to develop the capacity of our business partners to meet international expectations. The tools developed in the CGWG have been instrumental to that end and we want to keep working in that direction through this joint programme with CIBJO.”

APRIL 23, 2019

Speaking in Paris today to a plenary session of the 13th Forum on Responsible Mineral Supply Chains of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), CIBJO President Gaetano Cavalieri has delineated a comprehensive plan for promoting responsible sourcing practices throughout the jewellery, gemstone and precious metals sectors, which includes the release this past January of CIBJO’s new Responsible Sourcing Blue Book, and an online platform that will provide a set of dedicated due diligence tools free of charge to the industry.

The CIBJO President was speaking during a special session on the first day of the OECD forum at which select stakeholders provided details about current and updated projects. The session was moderated by Guus Houtluin, a senior advisor on trade issues at the European Action Service (EEAS).

In his presentation, the CIBJO president pointed to factors that molded CIBJO’s strategic approach. The greater jewellery industry is overwhelmingly comprised of SMEs, many of which are family-owned and run, he noted, pointing out that, while on the one hand that means that they are more likely to remain committed to the business over the long term, on the other hand many are limited in the amount of resources and personnel they can commit to detailed compliance systems.

“This paradox has become more apparent over the past decade and a half, as awareness of responsible practices has grown, both among our members and our consumers. As an organisation, much of our attention has been concentrated on meeting the requirements of a socially aware business community, while trying to protect the fabric of our industry,” he stated.

A key step step in CIBJO’s programme was the release this January of its Responsible Sourcing Blue Book,  which provides a framework and guidance for ethically sourcing gems and precious metals responsibly in the jewellery sector. It references the OECD’s Due Diligence Guidance for minerals from high-risk areas, insists on compliance with the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme and the World Diamond Council System of Warranties, and it supports the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

“An operating principle 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,” the CIBJO President stated.

To support members of the jewellery industry in implementing the principles laid out in our responsible sourcing document, CIBJO is now in the process of setting up an online platform that will educate them about the due diligence steps that should be taken, and at the same time will provide a set of downloadable tools and templates, which they can adapt for their use.

A dedicated suite of due diligence tools will be available at no cost via the the new CIBJO online platform. Dr. Cavalieri explained, and helping CIBJO develop this service is the Coloured Gemstones Working Group, facilitated by the Dragonfly Initiative. The Dragonfly Initiative is an advisory firm that supports businesses in the precious metals, gemstones and raw materials sectors create interconnected systems of environmentally, economically and socially responsible companies.

“Our ultimate goal is to support the principles expounded by the OECD and to introduce them to thousands of companies in the jewellery supply chain, so creating environments in which those companies may responsibly trade and manage the minerals they use,” Dr. Cavalieri said.

To download a copy of Dr. Cavalieri’s full speech to the OECD forum, PLEASE CLICK HERE.