Discussions at the 2nd World Emerald Symposium held in Bogota, Colombia from Oct 12 to 14, 2018 turned the spotlight on the need for, and attempts to establish responsible sourcing and sustainable business practices throughout the supply chain to further boost the emerald and coloured gemstone jewellery business.

During his address on the opening day, Dr Gaetano Cavalieri, President CIBJO emphasised the need for the coloured gemstone industry to work closely with governments to establish a network of “chokepoints”, or specific places in each country where all gemstones must pass through so that their integrity can be established and the industry can demonstrate that they have been ethically traded.

He said this could be similar to what the diamond industry has achieved through setting up the Kimberley Process and the gold industry ensures through the LBMA standards. Cavalieri added that most governments with whom he had mooted this idea have been responsive, and that such a set up could positively impact the many communities across the world involved in mining of gemstones.

GJEPC Chairman Pramod Kumar Agrawal, who led an Indian delegation to the symposium, also spoke at the event, noting that “India is famous for manufacturing of coloured gemstones and its jewellery” and “emeralds are being cut since early 17th century” in Jaipur which is today the largest manufacturing centre for the gemstone in the world.

“We cut from smallest calibrated size to large size of emeralds of all mining countries like Brazil, Colombia, Afghanistan, Zambia, etc.,” Agrawal noted, even as he said that India was “committed to the growth of the industry” and “open to cooperation and collaboration (from) across the world”.

Agrawal stressed that GJEPC too was actively working on a number of initiatives related to sustainability of industry today, CSR, labour & technical issues, ethical sourcing, etc. which had been discussed at the symposium, and urged the industry to adopt a policy of clear disclosure for manmade and natural products, which would go a long way in building consumer confidence.

He also called on those gathered to take up generic promotion of coloured gemstones among consumers to increase demand.

Officials of the Colombian Ministry of Mines and Energy had presented the five-year plan for building a “Mineral Digital Fingerprint”, a project which started in 2018. The aim was to define a “specific geo-chemical DNA” that would enable each stone to be tracked through different stages of the pipeline.

The Colombian industry has seen remarkable transformation in the last two decades, various speakers noted. A key factor has been the role played by the national trade association, Fedesmeraldas, currently celebrating its 20th anniversary, which organised the symposium in association with the Colombian Emerald Producers Association (APRECOL), the Emerald Exporters Association (ACODES) and the Emerald Dealers Association (Asocoemeral).

Dr Cavalieri welcomed the “formalisation programme underway in the emerald sector” which includes “public and private partnerships, …regulation and traceability on the one hand, while providing technical assistance and bank financing to those who sign on”. He noted that the number of registered emerald traders in the national registry grew from 178 in 2015 to 5,150 in 2017.

A number of other presentations were made by members of the trade representing different segments of the value chain emphasising the benefits in adoption of responsible and sustainable business practices.