The World Jewellery Confederation (CIBJO) and the International Grown Diamond Association (IGDA) have agreed to cooperate on consumer protection for jewelry products and in general for the jewelry industry. For this purpose, a transparent development of standards, operating principles and terminologies will be worked out. The agreement was signed as a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on June 25 2023, by Gaetano Cavalieri, president of CIBJO, and Joanna Park-Tonks, president of IGDA, during the NAJ Summit of the National Association of Jewellers in Birmingham, UK.
Under the agreement, IGDA will become a member of the CIBJO Committee on Lab-grown Diamonds, where it will be represented by Mrs. Park-Tonks. The committee, chaired by Wesley Hunt of De Beers, has developed a guide for lab-grown diamonds that aims to define universal trade and handling practices for lab-grown diamonds, protect their identity and enable consumers to make informed purchasing decisions.
"This is a clear signal to the global jewelry industry to put personal agendas and egos aside and put consumers and their interests at the center of our work. We all agree that a strategy of ridiculing natural diamonds or lab-grown diamonds is not beneficial to consumer understanding of either sector. Together we are stronger, and together we recognize the need for clear, honest and transparent communication," said Mrs. Park-Tonks.
"IGDA is committed to promoting better understanding and mitigation actions among members to address challenges in achieving the relevant UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a mandate that CIBJO has championed for many years as the jewelry industry's representative to the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)," she added.
At DIAVON, we welcome this move towards greater transparency and sustainability for the benefit of consumers.
Source: Article CIBJO "CIBJO and International Grown Diamond Association (IGDA) agree to collaborate in protection of consumer confidence" dated 26.06.2023.
Source: DIAVON GmbH