Leading industry experts Greg Valerio and Dr. Donald Feaver will hold a seminar organised by CIBJO, the World Jewellery Confederation, and Fiera di Vicenza, during the January Vicenzaoro show.

Titled "Social Responsibility as the New Reality: Best Practice Initiatives, Tools and Business Success," the seminar will take place on Sunday, January 25, from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm  in Pavilion 7.1, Room 7.1.2b, at Fiera di Vicenza.

The seminar “is being held within the framework of CIBJO and Fiera di Vicenza's association with the United Nation's Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), which is dedicated toward the development of educational programmes promoting Corporate Social Responsibility and sustainability in the international jewellery and gemstone sectors” a note from the organisers explained . 

Greg Valerio, a British jeweller, pioneered ethical and fair trade business practices, and is the founder of CRED Jewellery, which became Europe's first jewellery company to retail fair trade green gold and platinum jewellery collections. He is also and a co-founder of Fair Jewellery Action, which aims to make ethically sourced jewellery the only moral choice for consumers and suppliers.  "Over the last 10 years, the mining and jewellery trades have come under increasing ethical scrutiny from campaign organisations, governments, and voluntary civil society movements," explained Valerio. "Business as usual for jewellers is now a thing of the past."

Dr. Donald Feaver is the Chief Technology Officer of Branded Trust Assurance Systems and a Director of the Branded Trust Foundation. Branded Trust Assurance Systems, in association with CIBJO and the Gemmological Association of Great Britain, has developed a suite of online courses as well Social Responsibility Management tools including a comprehensive ethical market and transparent supply-chain and chain of custody solution. “Traditional paper-based 'certification' approaches are fast becoming tools of the old era," said Dr. Feaver. "New approaches are more constructive, and a focus on business improvement through Social Responsibility has the potential to deliver a higher Return on Investment. The new approaches are more holistic with targeted tools for 'people, companies and products’."

The seminar will also see the participation of: Gaetano Cavalieri, President of CIBJO; James Riley, CEO of the Gemmological Association of Great Britain (Gem-A); and Vivien Johnston, Chair of the Jewellery Ethics Committee in the United Kingdom.