The Executive Committee of CIBJO, the World Jewellery Confederation, chose to continue its boycott of the Council for Responsible Jewellery Practices, the organization said in a statement.
The first day of the executive committee’s special session, held Monday and Tuesday in Milan, was dominated by discussion about CIBJO’s future association with CRJP. In a resolution passed by the committee, the forum reaffirmed the letter sent by CIBJO president Gaetano Cavalieri to CRJP on Aug. 31, informing CRJP that CIBJO was withdrawing from the council. While it noted that CIBJO’s decision to remain outside CRJP still stands, the resolution stated that CIBJO is prepared to consider re-engaging CRJP. Any outcome, it was stressed, however, must be consistent with CIBJO’s role in the industry. In the resolution, CIBJO also declared its willingness to work with other representative bodies active in the international jewelry, gemstones, pearls and precious metals sectors, with the aim of arriving at a common policy regarding CRJP.
“We would like to continue to engage CRJP, but only on condition that its members agree to enact changes to the council’s structure and operation which will make it accessible to all participants in our industry—large and small—who support the principles on which consumer confidence in our business must be based,” Cavalieri said at the meeting.
The executive committee, which is comprised of representatives from each of the countries where there are CIBJO-affiliated national jewelry associations, is the supreme decision-making forum of the world confederation.
Other items on the agenda included the revision of the diamond-related section of CIBJO’s Blue Book and the variance of operating procedures and grading standards used in gem labs worldwide and CIBJO role in resolving them.
The committee called on the CIBJO Diamond Commission to complete a revision of the diamond section of the organization’s Blue Book. The CIBJO Blue Book is a definitive set of standards for the grading, methodology and nomenclature of diamonds, colored gemstones and pearls, and has in recent years been the definitive document used by national courts in settling disputes. The original version of the diamond section was compiled 30 years ago, and it is intended that the revised section, which will account for new technologies, will be presented for the consideration of the CIBJO General Assembly at the organization’s upcoming conference, scheduled to take place in Vancouver, Canada, in the summer of next year.
The executive committee also discussed ways in which CIBJO could act to coordinate both operating procedures and grading systems. It decided to organize a meeting of the CIBJO laboratory steering committee within the coming few weeks, with the aim formulating strategy proposals for CIBJO and to consider organizing a gathering of laboratory representatives, possibly at the CIBJO Congress in Vancouver.
The 2006 CIBJO Congress in Vancouver will coincide with the 80th anniversary of CIBJO. It will take place at the Pan Pacific Hotel, and is being hosted by the Canadian Jewellers Association.
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