At a special seminar entitled “Does Size Matter?” scheduled to take place at the upcoming VicenzaOro show in Italy, the World Jewellery Confederation (CIBJO) will focus on how small and medium enterprises in the gems and jewellery sector can comply with all due diligence and sustainability requirements.

The seminar, organised by CIBJO, is being hosted by the Italian Exhibition Group (IEG) and supported by leading Italian trade organisations, among them Federpreziosi and Club degli Orafi.

Giving details of the event, CIBJO said that responsible sourcing policies, verifiable supply chain integrity and social and environmental sustainability are fast becoming requirements for companies operating in the jewellery sector, leading to small and medium-sized enterprises feeling increasingly pressured. The cost of conducting due diligence can be restrictive, and often is a source of anxiety, particularly in Italy, where all but a handful of companies are SMEs and family owned, it added.

However, as major retailers require suppliers to demonstrate that they have conducted due diligence as a requirement of doing business, and key mining companies demand that clients comply with minimum standards to be eligible for direct supply, SMEs are searching for solutions that will allow them to meet expectations.

Some of the options available to them will be discussed during the seminar, which will be moderated by Philip Olden, President of CIBJO’s Responsible Sourcing Commission.

CIBJO said that the seminar will provide practical guidance and viable solutions geared for SMEs operating in the international jewellery sector, outlining what is required today in the industry in terms of responsible sourcing, supply chain integrity and environmental sustainability. Featuring a panel of international speakers, it also will present the experiences of smaller Italian companies that have successfully incorporated principles of CSR and sustainability in their businesses. Steven Tranquilli, Federpreziosi’s Director, and Gabriele Aprea, President of Club degli Orafi, are featured speakers.

The seminar will be conducted simultaneously in English and Italian. It is the latest edition in a series of educational programmes organized by CIBJO and IEG in support of Corporate Social Responsibility and sustainability in the jewellery sector, and is endorsed by the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).

“We are committed to the principle that, to the greatest degree possible, every ethical member of our industry should enjoy fair access both to supply and the markets,” said CIBJO President Gaetano Cavalieri. “We also contend that all members of our industry are reasonably able to conduct basic due diligence on their supply chains. How that can be done will come under the spotlight in Vicenza.”