Call for jewellery 'watchdogs'

Posted September 21, 2010 | By Sonia Nair

CIBJO’s president has urged gemmologists to act as ethical “watchdogs” to boost consumer confidence in the gem industry.

Speaking at a gemmology conference in Paris, Gaetano Cavalieri told delegates they needed to be accountable for their role in the jewellery industry.

“You all take part in some stage of the pipeline… none of you is an observer or bystander, and therefore, what happens in the industry is also your responsibility,” he said.

"We expect you to be the watchdogs, the whistleblowers if need be, the gatekeepers of the industry's ethics.”

In his talk – “Beyond the Facets - ethics, social responsibility and the business of gemmology” – Cavalieri said gemmologists had an important role to play because of their access to information.

“You have access to information, are observing the industry and making a living from it. You are part – willingly or unwillingly – of the team of the industry's defenders."

Senator Andre Ferrand presented Cavalieri with a Medal of Honor on behalf of France and hailed CIBJO as the “industry’s beacon for ethics, corporate and social responsibility”.

At the CIBJO Annual Conference earlier this year, Cavalieri forecast that the jewellery industry would only see a full market recovery from the Global Financial Crisis in 2011.

He cited four key trends that would affect the jewellery industry in the future:
•   The rising prominence of younger buying groups and working women
•   Growth of markets in China, India, Central Asia and Southeast Asia, which would slowly overtake Europe and America as the largest global luxury market region
•   Rising internet sales, which will cause companies to rethink their marketing strategies
•   Redefinition of luxury brands as items which better the social and economic life of consumers.

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