Top Story
The top story is our new website!
After five years of close collaboration towards a shared vision for a responsible industry, the Coloured Gemstones Working Group (CGWG), first established in 2015, makes today its public debut with the inauguration of this website.
Dr. Assheton Stewart Carter, CEO of TDI Sustainability, the advisory firm that represents the CGWG, says,
“The responsible sourcing movement is a powerful force that has the potential to bring transformative change and improve the lives of many people deep in the coloured gemstone supply chain. The objective must be to make sustainability familiar and accessible to even the smallest businesses and the individual crafts person. To have a truly sustainable footprint, industry collaboration is the only way forward. The CGWG has taken a step to provide the tools and information to help achieve this goal, but it is only the first step. The next steps in this journey need to be taken in tandem with others and we invite businesses large and small as well as consumers to engage in this vital process and join our Platform”.
We hope you register your interest for the Platform, if you haven’t already, and enjoy finding out more throughout the website.
News from around the industry
A checklist for jewellery gearing up for a June reopening
Professional Jewellery shares a break-down of measures the government advises jewellers take this month in preparation for potentially reopening in June.
Emergency action needed for vulnerable artisanal and small-scale mining communities and supply chains
As the corona virus sweeps the globe, affecting the health and lives of millions, the pandemic is wreaking further economic havoc on the lives of artisanal, small scale miners and their communities. At a time of heightened risks in global mineral supply chains, the carrying out of due diligence and support for on-the-ground, OECD-aligned initiatives are more important than ever.
Good Jewels: gems for Earth Day and beyond
Growing awareness of the harm inflicted on the planet has led several jewellers to create pieces that support positive action to reverse climate change. In conjunction with Earth Day 2020, the Jewellery Editor has selected those jewels that do their part in tackling the climate crisis, including Pomellato, Venyx World, Annoushka, Pippa Small, Patrick Mavros.
CIBJO offers free resources during COVID-19 pandemic
The international jewellery confederation, CIBJO, has made its Blue Books – which define grading standards, nomenclature, and responsible sourcing practices for diamonds, coloured gemstones, pearls, coral, and precious metals – free for all to download for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Blue Books represent the most widely accepted set of rules and terminology for the international jewellery community.
5 Independent Jewellery Brands With Noteworthy Sustainable Agendas
Sustainability in an industry whose precious raw materials – gold and gemstones – come from the earth itself is a thorny subject. Given the inevitable impact of mining on the environment and a complex and often mysterious supply chain, “ethical jewellery” is a reductionist marketing phrase that gets bandied around too easily. Consumers are increasingly keen to make the right choices but greenwashing can mean they end up being misled. In ‘Get Your Greens’, an ongoing series in line with the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, British Vogue selects a pick of responsible jewellers who are moving the needle in the right direction
Baselworld cancelled for 2021
MCH Group, the owner and organiser of Baselworld, has announced that the show will not take place in 2021. The exhibition was scheduled for January 28 to February 2, 2021. It was described as the ‘2020 event – postponed’, but MCH Group has now officially cancelled the fair.
Coming soon
Webinar: Presentation of the Gemstones and Jewellery Community Platform
Date: 28th May 2020
Sign-up to our webinar where we will share the Platform with you in greater detail, including the resources and tools available for learning and capacity building, and answer any questions you might have about the initiative and how to join!
Sign-up for the 10am GMT webinar.
Sign-up for the 6pm GMT webinar.
Paper 2: Mining ~ Hands that Dig, Hands that Feed
Date: TBC
Discover the first steps of coloured gemstones from geological formation and discovery through to mining and recovery, and insight into the potential of the coloured gemstone mining sector to catalyse sustainable development.