CIBJO Urges Better Control of Gemstone Supply

RAPAPORT... Countries should designate locations where colored gemstonesenter the market in a bid to ensure the integrity of the industry's supplychain, according to the World Jewellery Confederation (CIBJO). CIBJO president Gaetano Cavalieri called for the introduction of monitored"chokepoints" - places at which goods pass during shipping. The system wouldbenefit governments by creating legal pathways for artisanal miners, enablingthem to enter the legitimate distribution chain instead of turning to the blackmarket, he argued at the World Emerald Symposium in Bogota, Colombia, lastweek. "Given the wide variety of colored gemstones and the massivenumber of small companies involved in their production and distribution, it isunlikely in the foreseeable future that a single regulatory umbrella body willbe established for the colored-gemstone sector, like the Kimberley Process,"Cavalieri observed. "But if the trade and government cooperate, on a country-by-countrybasis, it may be possible to establish a multitude of chokepoints, which canverify and certify the integrity of the gemstones in their respective regionsof jurisdiction," he added. Those country-focused regulators would be similar to thenational Kimberley Process authorities that currently verify diamond imports ineach jurisdiction, he explained. Several nations are already interested in theidea, he noted. Until now, regulators have mainly focused on diamonds andprecious metals, and it's time for colored gemstones to come on board,Cavalieri continued. At the symposium, CIBJO presented guidelines for responsiblesourcing, which Cavalieri believes could serve as a set of standards for futurecolored-gemstone verification. The event preceded the 2018 CIBJO Congress,which began Monday in Bogota. Image: Rough emerald from the Muzo mine in Colombia.