The American Gem Trade Association, the World Jewellery Confederation, and the International Colored Stone Association, have reached a consensus on a global method of colored gemstone treatment disclosure within the trade.

While both the AGTA and ICA have used codes to disclose treatments for decades, the systems of codes were not directly compatible. At the prompting of ICA Vice President Charles Abouchar, a task force composed of representatives from AGTA, CIBJO and ICA was formed and met this month in Tucson. The goal of the Task Force was to reach consensus on a global system of coding. At the Tucson meeting it was agreed that all three associations would implement the use of AGTA’s disclosure codes for colored gemstones, pending the approval of their respective Boards. The approval of these codes at the CIBJO congress in Munich completes the process.

The agreement to jointly adopt the modification coding system was reached at a meeting involving representatives of CIBJO, ICA and AGTA, held in Tucson, Arizona, USA, on February 3, 2010. The codes will now be listed in CIBJO’s Gemstone Blue Book for each stone.

JCK