CIBJO, the World Jewellery Confederation, has released a simplified guide to ethical and responsible practices that should be followed in the handling and trading of diamonds, coloured gemstones, pearls and coral. The guide is presented in an easy to follow Do’s and Don’ts style listing.

The new document is intended to support jewellery business owners and professional staff, guiding them on disclosure and description of natural and treated gem materials, synthetics and other artificial products, as well as recommendations about information that should be requested from suppliers.

CIBJO clarified that the new booklet is not meant to replace its Blue Books, which are comprehensive guides of standards, practices and nomenclature for diamonds, coloured gemstones, pearls, coral, precious metals, gemmological laboratories and responsible sourcing, nor in any way supersede national legislation or regulations, or internationally approved protocols.

"The Do's & Don'ts Guide is intended to serve as a quick and simple reference for industry professionals, to ensure that responsible practices are being applied," explained Roland Naftule, President of CIBJO's Sector A, which covers all gem materials and was responsible, along with the help and support of his vice presidents, for producing the document. "We encourage all members of the industry to become familiar with the various Blue Books, but we appreciate that on the spur of the moment they can be overwhelming in terms of size and complexity. For that reason, we produced this more concise and easily-read guide, with the goal being to promote consumer confidence through ethical trade."

"Consumer confidence is the bedrock of the jewellery business, and to maintain and enhance this it is critical that responsible practices be applied, by all participants at every stage of the chain of distribution," said CIBJO President Gaetano Cavalieri. "Our new Do's & Don'ts Guide is designed to support this objective."

The guide, which is available in multiple languages and is 10-13 pages long depending on the language, can be downloaded free of charge from the CIBJO website.