CIBJO, CRJP Resolve Issues, CRJP to Join CIBJO as Associate Member

CIBJO, The World Jewellery Confederation, and the Council for Responsible Jewellery Practices (CRJP), have reached agreement on their different but complementary roles in promoting proper business ethics and consumer confidence in the jewelry industry worldwide, the head of the organizations announced yesterday. As a result, CRJP will become an associate member of CIBJO.

“CIBJO, as the umbrella organization of the world jewelry industry and its leading associations, will continue to play the role of educator and communicator on matters of business responsibility,” the groups said in a release.

The two organizations noted they will raise awareness of these topics in the industry at large, pursue educational efforts to disseminate information, and serve as a forum for the worldwide industry to debate its views on business responsibility.

CRJP, a trade association comprising of organizations from the gold and diamond jewelry supply chain, will have a more narrowly defined role than CIBJO. CRJP's specific focus will continue to be the creation of a supply chain initiative for the gold and diamond jewelry industry, from mine to retail.

The split between the two groups arose when CIBJO broke away from CRJP, saying the organization represents the interests and needs of the big companies in the industry, and not those of the many smaller companies, including retailers and jewelry manufacturers.

During an impromptu press conference at the JCK Las Vegas show, CRJP Chairman Dr. Matthew A. Runci said the two are concerned about consumer confidence. CIBJO President Gaetano Cavalieri added that they should not battle over who is in charge.

The groups agreed that CIBJO’s role is to focus on the industry’s quest to maintain consumer confidence from a broader perspective, while leaving the consideration of creating specific ways of accomplishing this to trade organizations like CRJP, which have a more grass-roots focus.

As a result of this agreement on the groups' different roles, CIBJO has invited CRJP to become an associate member of CIBJO. CRJP has agreed it will join CIBJO in this capacity prior to CIBJO's Annual Congress, to be held, July 24-27, 2006 in Vancouver, Canada.