The World Jewellery Confederation (CIBJO) and the International Grown Diamond Association (IGDA) have agreed to work together in protecting the confidence of consumers in both jewellery products and the jewellery industry, through the transparent development of standards, operating principles, and terminology.
The organisations have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on 25 June, 2023 during the National Association of Jewellers (NAJ) Summit held in the UK city of Birmingham. The MoU calls for the pair to define universal trading and handling practices for laboratory-grown diamonds, safeguarding their identity and enabling consumers to make informed purchasing decisions.
IGDA president Joanna Park-Tonks will sit on CIBJO’s laboratory-grown diamond committee, which has created a “Laboratory-Grown Diamond Guideline” governing standards for trading and handling lab-grown diamonds.
Gaetano Cavalieri, president of CIBJO, said: “We are delighted to be able to formalise IGDA’s association with CIBJO and the work that we do. We have had open lines of communication for some time already, and IGDA did participate in the public review before we released the Laboratory Grown Diamond Guidance document in 2021. Over the past several years the laboratory-grown diamonds sector has grown into a large and a prominent part of our industry, and we all have a vested interest in each other’s success. That definitely will be enhanced by having the IGDA as a permanent part of the discussion and the decision-making process. We are most pleased to welcome Joanna Park-Tonks on board.”
“This (the MoU) sends a clear signal to the global jewellery industry to set personal agendas and egos aside, placing the consumer and their best interests at the heart of our work. We all agree that a strategy of deriding natural diamonds or laboratory-grown diamond products is not conducive to consumers understanding of either sector. Together we are stronger, and we jointly acknowledge the necessity of communicating clearly, honestly and transparently,” said Joanna Park-Tonks.
A current focus of the CIBJO’s laboratory grown diamond committee, and also an element during the discussion between CIBJO and IGDA, is the honest and accurate presentation of sustainability issues – an area that requires cross-industry collaboration and leadership.
05/07/2023
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