The Special Report prepared by the CIBJO Coloured Stone Commission for the 2015 CIBJO Congress in Salvador, Brazil, on May 4, 2015 discusses the impact of measures taken to ensure that coloured gemstones are sourced in ethical manner and some of the future steps that need to be considred in this regard. The report will form the basis for deliberations at one of the sessions in the congress.

Nilam Alawdeen, President of the Commission, says that for many copmanies, the primary objective appears to be using ethical sourcing as a marketing tool, where the goal is more to increase sales, rather than looking out for the welfare of local communities. "The energies and finances spent in publicising such efforts are in many cases more than what appears to have been invested in actual grassroots welfare," he writes in the report.

He also discusses the success of the diamond industry in establishing the Kimberley Process, and says that the coloured stone industry too needs to launch a similar initiative, albeit one that takes into account the special characteristics of the industry.

"Just as there is no traffic rule that can be universally applied, since conditions differ in many countries, approaches have to be localized," Mr. Alawdeen continues. "Policies have to be made in consultation with local industry and governments, otherwise it will appear to be a repeat of what took place in countries that experienced colonial rule, where rulings were resented for no other reason than that they were imposed. Time also has to be given for solutions to be accepted and realised. A top-down-only approach will be counterproductive."

In a separate statement, CIBJO also announced the opening of registration for the ost Congress gem-mine tour in the Brazilian state of Bahia, which will take place May 7-10, 2015.

 The tour will focus on northeast Bahia, in the area of the Chapada Diamantina National Park, which in the 19th Century was the site of a diamond rush. Steeped in mining history, the area is also home to working golden rutilated quartz mines, which also will be visited. The tour will be led by Brian Cook, a geologist and long-time resident of Bahia.