Representatives of the Thai Gem and Jewelry Traders Association and Japan Jewelry Association used the 2007 CIBJO Congress in Cape Town, South Africa, to announce the release of a memorandum of understanding between the two associations regarding the disclosure of Beryllium treatments in corundum within the trade, according to a statement. The document was drafted a few weeks earlier during bilateral meetings in Bangkok, Thailand.

Other partners in the memorandum were the Thai Department of Export Promotion of the Thai Ministry of Commerce, the Gem and Jewelry Institute of Thailand, and the Chantaburi Gem and Jewelry Traders Association.

The memorandum states that “the exporter of loose corundum must disclose the treatment on the invoice for the export item using the following terminology: “Non- Be-Treated, Be Treated and Unconfirmed Be Treatment.” The JJA requested the same disclosure rules would also be applied to jewelry set with corundum.

In Thailand, compliance of these rules is to be enforced under the rules of the TGTJA while the JJA confirmed that its members must follow the same disclosure standard in their domestic transactions. Cases of non-compliance will be dealt with under the rule of the Japanese association.

Both parties resolved to establish a set of similar disclosure standards for Beryllium identification with support from gem laboratories in both countries. In addition, both parties will ask their local gem labs to conduct joint research in order to strengthen the disclosure procedure.

For corundum exported to Japan without proper disclosure and subsequently tested to contain Beryllium, the Thai exporter shall accept the return of the stone, and make full refund to the buyer. However, TGJTA requested that the disclosure procedure should also be applied by all other countries that export corundum to Japan.  The JJA said it would give this issue its highest priority.

JCK