by Julius Zheng
CIBJO has provided the jewellery industry with common language, and we managed to do that because of the inclusive and transparent manner we have developed, and continue developing, that language, which has terms, rules and practices that can be applied efficiently along the length of all our supply chains. – Dr. Gaetano Cavalieri, CIBJO President
Uniting national jewellery and gemstone associations from more than 45 countries around the world, and including many of the industry’s major international corporations and international representative associations, CIBJO, the World Jewellery Confederation is the oldest international organization in jewellery sector, having originally been established in 1926. It covers the entire jewellery, gemstone and precious metals sectors vertically, from mine to marketplace, and horizontally within each of the component sectors in the various production, manufacturing and trading centres.
As one of the most prominent leaders in the international jewellery industry today, Dr. Gaetano Cavalieri has served for more than 20 years as president of CIBJO, and was responsible in July 2006 for the organization receiving “Special Consultative Status” with United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), making it the first and only jewellery and gemstone representative to be officially recognized by the international body. Together with the United Nations, he established the World Jewellery Confederation Education Foundation (WJCEF), which is responsible for promoting Corporate Social Responsibility education in the international jewellery and gemstone industries.
In this exclusive interview, Dr. Gaetano Cavalieri, President of CIBJO reflects on 100 years of uniting the global jewellery industry. Key milestones include the first Blue Books (1968) and UN consultative status (2006). At the 2026 Centenary Congress, CIBJO will focus on responsible sourcing, sustainability, and AI ethics. On consumer confusion between natural and synthetic diamonds, CIBJO is revisiting terminology after more than 15 years. Cavalieri highlights China as one of the industry’s two largest pillars, the world’s top consumer of jade, gold, and gemstones, which is shifting from a manufacturing country to global trendsetter.
CIBJO’s achievement: Over the past 100 years, what do you consider to be CIBJO’s most significant achievements and milestones in shaping the global jewellery industry?
There are a great many, starting with the very birth of the concept of what evolved into CIBJO, which was an understanding that the whole of the industry is greater than the sum of its parts. CIBJO was born in Paris in 1926 as BILBOA, a European organisation, but even then, it reflected an understanding that our success is reliant on the health, actions and principles of our entire supply chain, which crosses borders, sometimes multiple times. Any weak link affects the entire chain.
Another milestone would have been in 1961, when CIBJO as we today know it was created, as a global rather than an international association. As such it became and remains the only body to encompass the entire industry worldwide – geographically with more than 40 countries represented – and the entire supply chain, from mining, through manufacturing, to jewellery retail.
The year 1968 was a definite milestone, because that is when the first Blue Books were published, as definitive sets of international standards, operating principles and nomenclature. Initially there were three, the Gemstone Blue Book, the Diamond Book and the Pearl Blue Book. But more were produced, and for the industry each was another milestone. These include the Precious Metals Blue Book, added in 2007, the Gemmological Laboratories Blue Book in 2010, the Coral Blue Book in 2015 and the Responsible Sourcing Blue Book in 2015.
One more critical milestone year I would note was 2006, which is the year that CIBJO became the first and still the only jewellery industry association to receive special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). In so doing we committed our members, and by extension the entire industry, to advancing the goals of the UN development programme. This was a groundbreaking concept for a luxury product industry. That year, we also joined the UN Global Compact.
Centenary Congress: With the upcoming CIBJO Centenary Congress in Vicenza, Italy in September 2026, what key initiatives and topics will be highlighted to celebrate this historic event?
The centenary itself will be celebrated with what almost certainly will be the largest and most well-attended event in our association’s history.
But, as always, a CIBJO Congress reflects the times, events and key topics impacting on the greater jewellery industry at any point in time. So there will be a range of new standards and guides, and particularly those related to responsible sourcing, sustainability, social commitment and responsible marketing, all of which are topics at the top of our industry’s agenda.
Geopolitical Impact: How is CIBJO addressing the challenges posed by geopolitical events, such as import tariffs, sanctions and military conflicts, on the global jewellery industry?
These are complicated subjects, and each requires a different approach, some at the national level and some internationally. What is critical from the industry standpoint is that we speak with one voice. Thus, since 2022, but in reality as far back as 2000, there has been a quiet consultative process in the industry, and constant contact with individual governments, regional authorities and international associations. CIBJO has not done this on its own, but in concert with other associations, so that our industry is seen to be united, cooperative and non-partisan.
And we have worked to educate our members and the greater industry about what is happening and where things stand. We did that in Paris at the CIBJO Congress last year, and we will no doubt do it again in September at the CIBJO Congress in Vicenza.
ESG Compliance: CIBJO unveiled practical tools to help the jewellery industry comply with ESG requirements. Can you elaborate on these tools and their expected impact on the industry?
In February 2025, one year after we released a breakthrough guidance document that first outlined environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles for the jewellery industry, we followed up with a set of guidelines for measuring ESG performance in the distribution chain. And while the first document was geared primarily for companies handling laboratory-grown diamonds, the new document’s recommendations could be applied in different parts of the industry and distribution chain, and by larger and smaller companies.
Called the “CIBJO Guidelines for Measuring ESG Performance,” the measuring guidance document is now available for downloading at no charge on the CIBJO website.
The measurement guidelines are built around 14 environmental, social and governance (ESG) themes, identifying between four and 16 measurement areas, as well as sample metrics for each theme. They represent a subset of widely used measures relevant to the jewellery industry, to enable companies to take action.
The new guidelines also present a 10-step approach for members of the jewellery industry on their ESG journey, and also a glossary of terms explaining what for many may be new and confusing terminology.
Our Sustainable Development Commission is now about to release a few more documents, which will be available to the public at no cost. They include:
- An updated Responsible Sourcing Blue Book, along with an associated revision of the Responsible Sourcing Toolkit, firmly aligned with OECD Due Diligence Guidance.
- A new Sustainability & ESG Reference Guide, which is a wide-ranging and detailed guide to all key aspects of the global sustainability agenda as it applies to the jewellery sector.
AI in Jewellery Industry: AI has made profound changes in the whole jewellery value chain. How does CIBJO plan to support the industry in adapting to these technological shifts while addressing potential shift in the job market?
Mainly through education. AI will impact our industry fundamentally, just like it will impact most other aspects of life. What we have been doing in CIBJO is to generate an industry-wide discussion, which essentially is aimed at enabling us to manage the inevitable disruption, while aiming to grow with the improved capacities and efficiencies AI will provide, while avoiding the potential pitfalls.
Our CIBJO Technology Special Report for 2025, released just before the CIBJO Congress in Paris last year, was focused entirely on the impact of AI, and I would like to share some of its insights.
One, AI is neither inherently good nor bad. Its success depends on how it is used. The simplest and the most advanced tools can create value or do harm depending on their accuracy, intent, context and governance. In the jewellery industry, the organisations that succeed in integrating AI creatively, strategically and ethically will see productivity soar while remaining firmly in charge of the decision-making process.
Adopting AI is not simply about installing new technology. It requires rethinking workflows, retraining staff, and reshaping company culture. Retailers, designers and manufacturers must invest in structured implementation strategies. Without careful rollout, AI risks either becoming underutilised or impacting interactive processes and creating mistrust within teams.
Consumer perception is a decisive factor in the adoption of AI within jewellery. While some customers will welcome AI-enabled personalisation, immersive try-ons and faster service, others will remain cautious, particularly in the luxury segment where the old-time values of heritage, craftsmanship and authenticity are central to value.
AI should not be a replacement for the artistry, heritage, preciousness and human relationships that traditionally have defined jewellery. Instead, it is a tool that can magnify them — if implemented with knowledge and care.
Consumer Confusion: The issue of consumer confusion between natural and synthetic diamonds was highlighted. What strategies is CIBJO implementing to educate consumers and promote transparency? What is the urgency to change the term of “lab-grown diamond” to “synthetic diamond”?
Before 2004, there was very little debate as to how man-made gemstones should be described. “Synthetic” was a universally accepted and non-controversial term, which did not discount the fact that the chemical and physical composition of the stones indeed involved the same material as the stones created geologically, but at the same time explained that they had been made artificially by means of chemical synthesis.
But, predominantly in the United States, some well-financed new players were setting up factories to produce high-quality synthetic diamonds. They lobbied the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for a less restrictive set of terminology to describe the products they were producing. They contended that, even though the word “synthetic” did not relate to the physical composition of the product, but rather the way it was produced, polling evidence suggested that consumers equated the term “synthetic” with the term “fake,” albeit incorrectly. They recommended that the less emotive “laboratory-grown” or “laboratory-created” terms be used instead.
This set off a fierce debate in CIBJO, with many of our European members strongly opposed to replacing an accurate term with one that they felt, at the very least, was deceptive. Man-made diamonds, they noted, are not created through a laboratory process, but rather industrially in factories. If one was to be accurate, they said, such diamonds should be called “factory-grown” or “factory-created.”
But the tides of history had clearly turned, and in 2010, at the CIBJO Congress in Munich, Germany, we amended the CIBJO Diamond Blue Book so that it now included the terms “laboratory-grown” and “laboratory-created.” However, we did not insist that these were preferable to “synthetic,” and indeed stated that in a language where “laboratory-grown” and “laboratory-created” could not be properly translated, “synthetic” should remain the preferred term. And so it has been in certain countries, like France for example, where, by decree, only “synthetic” can be used to describe a man-made diamond.
In 2019 we set up a working group that eventually became the CIBJO Laboratory-Grown Diamond Committee. Its goal was to prescribe clear rules and standards for differentiating natural diamonds from synthetic stones. After three years of deliberations, we released our Laboratory-Grown Diamond Guidance document in June 2021. It prescribed clear principles for describing laboratory-grown diamonds, as well as due diligence measures that should be followed by companies handling such merchandise and attending events at which they are displayed, such as trade shows — all designed to ensure that laboratory-grown goods and natural goods are not mixed together.
As the new man-made product gained traction in the marketplace, it became clearly apparent that the companies marketing them sought to blur the distinction between what they were selling and their natural counterparts, while at the same time, and without substantiating their claims, emphasising that their products carried considerably less ethical baggage, in that they had never been associated with bloody conflicts in Africa, nor did they have the same environmental footprint.
But the coupling of natural to man-made diamonds was inherently problematic over the long term. Because, even though it temporarily offered lucrative profits to synthetic producers and traders, the inevitable fall in prices caused by a glut of cheap synthetics in the marketplace would likely drag down the value of natural goods as well. The effects of that could be devastating, especially in countries like Botswana and Angola, where their natural diamond industries are anchors of their national economies.
In September last year, CIBJO released its 2025 Diamond Special Report, ahead of the CIBJO Congress in Paris. In it, the commission’s president, Udi Sheintal, suggested revisiting and revising the Diamond Blue Book, removing the terms “laboratory-grown” and “laboratory-created” as synonyms for “synthetic.”
This is a complicated debate and not one that will be resolved quickly, in part because, after more than 15 years of continual use, the term “laboratory-grown” has become widely accepted.
CIBJO does not take decisions of such magnitude lightly. Our due process demands an in-depth discussion about the subject, and the formulation of an amended definition that will first be discussed by our Diamond Commission Steering Committee. It, in turn, would then make a recommendation to the full Diamond Commission. If that approves the proposal, it would be considered by CIBJO’s Sector A, which is responsible for all gem materials, and would be the body responsible for making the proposal to the CIBJO General Assembly. If the GA approves the resolution, it would be put before the CIBJO Board of Directors for final approval.
Educational Outreach: In the CIBJO Congress in Paris in 2025, delegates emphasized the need for jewellery and gemmology schools to maximize their reach. What role does CIBJO play in advancing education and training in the industry?
We have a range of projects underway. A massive volume of work is done within CIBJO on a yearly basis, and it has long been felt that it is not fully appreciated or understood industry-wide.
One of our ways to remedy this is the CIBJO Academy. It was established in 2023 to prepare and deliver educational programmes and materials, suitable for jewellery professionals and the consuming public, about standards, operating principles and terminology developed within CIBJO’s various commissions and expert committees. Its Founding Dean is Kenneth Scarratt, a vice president of CIBJO and President of Sector A, which covers all gem materials.
The essential course materials for the CIBJO Academy are the various CIBJO Blue Books and guides, relating to the entire spectrum of the gemstone and jewellery industries, covering natural diamonds, laboratory-grown diamonds, coloured gemstones, pearls, coral, precious metals, principles of responsible sourcing, the operation of gem laboratories, marketing, ethics and legal issues, and more.
A second project I would mention is the International Fine Jewellery Academy. It is currently being set up, and will be an educational institute based in Milan, Italy, catering to the requirements of the jewellery industry and providing resources to students from around the world, as a partnership involving CIBJO; ConfCommercio, Italy’s largest trade association; Fondazione Mani Intelligenti, a body based in Valenza whose mission is to train the next generation of Italian goldsmiths; and CAPAC – Politecnico del Commercio e del Turismo, a non-profit foundation that has been operating in the professional training sector since 1961.
As part of the venture, CAPAC will provide the International Fine Jewellery Academy facilities in the centre of Milan, where in-person training and education will take place. This will be complemented by hands-on training delivered by some of the world’s most skilled jewellery artisans, at partner companies in northern Italy.
Updated Guides: The new jade, opal, and pearl guides are expected to be completed by the 2026 Congress. How will these updated guides benefit the industry and ensure responsible practices?
Work on the Opal Guide began at the CIBJO Congress in Bangkok in 2017, when the late Andrew Cody presented the first draft. The document that is being readied for presentation at the 2026 CIBJO Congress in Vicenza outlines classification criteria for all opal varieties, treatment categories and disclosure requirements, and standardised terminology to ensure consistency across markets.
The Jade Guide, work on which began following presentations given by the Hong Kong Gemmological Association at the CIBJO Congress in Bahrain in 2019, is meant to reconcile the terminology, identification and grading of jade in relation to the Fei Cui nomenclature used in East Asia. The working group producing the guide has focused on harmonising trade names and grading systems for global clarity, refining the guide’s structure to reflect evolving market realities, and expanding content to cover both technical gemmological criteria and regional traditions. A key challenge was balancing China’s four-decade-old, tradition-based standards with the Western gemmological benchmarks widely used by laboratories.
The CIBJO Pearl Guide, which was first published in 2021, is being expanded from a 62-page document into a well-illustrated 267-page educational guide. It describes and illustrates 43 pearl-producing saltwater nacreous and non-nacreous bivalves in alphabetical order, many of which will be new to even those involved professionally in the pearl industry. It also describes 23 pearl-producing saltwater nacreous and non-nacreous univalves, followed by 27 freshwater bivalves that are producers of nacreous (sometimes non-nacreous) natural and cultured pearls, as well as natural blister pearls, and cultured blisters pearls.
The new Pearl Guide presents pearl classifications, even though CIBJO does not have its own classification system for natural or cultured pearls, nor do we endorse one industry system over another. This section describes five different systems, noting the differences between “pearl classification” and “pearl grading,” and it is followed by a general overview of saltwater and freshwater cultured pearl types, that explores their species, origins, characteristics and methods of production.
Future Vision: As CIBJO celebrates its centenary, what is your vision for the next 100 years of the organization, and how do you see it evolving to meet future challenges in the jewellery industry?
I am not sure that if you had asked the founders of our confederation 100 years ago whether they thought we would still be here, they would have answered in the affirmative. But CIBJO has not only remained, but it is more relevant and stronger than it has been at any point in its history.
Over the past 100 years the world has become ever-more connected, with different geographic regions not only increasingly dependent upon one another, but also more alike, with trends and tastes moving as quickly as information and data is able to. In such an environment it is imperative that, when we talk, we understand each other perfectly. Laws and regulations may differ from country to country, but in an international business community these need to be coordinated with one another.
CIBJO has provided the jewellery industry with common language, and we managed to do that because of the inclusive and transparent manner we have developed, and continue developing, that language, which has terms, rules and practices that can be applied efficiently along the length of all our supply chains.
These terms, rules and practices are not static. They change and evolve as new technologies are developed, geopolitical changes occur, and new markets emerge as economies develop. That was the case over the first 100 years, and I believe it will remain the case for the coming 100.
So, since I am not clairvoyant, I cannot tell you what will happen 100 years into the future, and not even what will happen 20 years, 10 years or even 5 years from now. However, what I am confident about is that, just as fine jewellery has been created and loved for millennia, and certainly for the past 100 years, so it will be for the next 100 years and beyond. And as long as there is demand for jewellery, there will be a need for an organisation like CIBJO.
China’s Role: As one of the largest markets for jewellery and gemstones, how is CIBJO engaging with China to strengthen trade relationships and promote sustainable practices within its jewellery industry?
I have spent considerable time in China over the past several years, and as you know in 2024 Shanghai hosted our 2024 CIBJO Congress. Within CIBJO that was a coming of age, providing full recognition that the country has become one of the two largest foundations on which our industry stands.
As I pointed out then, China, like India, is shifting from being a country that manufactures goods that are designed or inspired by mainly Western players, to becoming a trendsetter in its own right, influencing what is being bought worldwide, and exporting its intellectual capital and not only its production capacity.
China also is the world’s largest consumer of coloured gemstones, gold and platinum jewellery, and unsurprisingly of jade, or Fei Cui as it is popularly referred to. Until quite recently, many of us in the developed Western markets considered it to be a footnote in our trade statistics, and even in the CIBJO Coloured Stone Blue Book, jade and jadeite warranted only a relatively short mention.
When, during a special session at the CIBJO Congress in Bahrain in 2019, we learned that the Fei Cui market was estimated to have an annual worth of more than $8 billion, making it the second largest jewellery category after diamonds, we were stunned. Most of us never realised its size. But thus began a process in CIBJO of formalising the Fei Cui market on a global scale, based on work being done here in mainland China, and also Hong Kong.
Much has been written about the creation of a diamond market in the 1990s here in China, growing from almost zero into the world’s second largest. But it’s no longer wrong to state that the single-lane highway of taste and knowledge moving eastward has become a dual carriageway moving in both directions, where Chinese and other Eastern trends and innovations find equally receptive markets in the traditional Western consumer centres. The same is true of pearls, and particularly freshwater pearls, which are particularly popular here in China.
As an undisputed industry and market leader, China must continue to make its presence felt in CIBJO, in our various commissions and committees. It should do so not only for the benefit of the international jewellery and gemstone trade, but also for the trade in China itself.
This exclusive interview by Julius Zheng has been commissioned by China Diamond Yearbook (2025). Special thanks to Shanghai Diamond Exchange, the publisher of China Diamond Year Book, for the approval of publishing this interview on Gem Spectrum.
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