Vicenza - May 20, 2012: CIBJO has concluded its annual conference in the Italian city of Vicenza, with a decision to establish a number of bodies that will provide added-value services to members of national associations that are affiliated with the organisation, as well as to its commercial members.

Vicenza - May 20, 2012: Meeting on the final day of the 2012 CIBJO Congress in Vicenza, Italy, the General Assembly of CIBJO has added its unanimous support to the call last week by the World Diamond Council to begin discussions about widening the definition of conflict diamonds in the statutes of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme.

Vicenza - May 20, 2012: The Board of Directors of CIBJO unanimously approved the establishment of a Trade Fair Commission, which will be charged with liaising with and among the various trade shows that serve the international jewelllery industry.

Vicenza - May 20, 2012 - Meeting at the CIBJO Congress in Vicenza, Italy, the organisation's Board of Directors has unanimously approved a proposal that a Strategic Task Force be established to grow industry membership in the organisation, broaden its financial base, and expand the range of international diplomatic activities conducted with the United Nations, as well as with other national and international representative organisations.

Vicenza - May 19, 2012: The CIBJO Congress’ traditional gemmological mini conference was held for the third time in 2012, this time in the Palladio Theatre of the Fiera di Vicenza on May 19, before an audience of CIBJO members, gemmologists, gem dealers and jewellers. Focussing entirely on the gemstone tourmaline, it was called Tourmaline Day, and coincided with the opening day of the VicenzaOro Spring jewellery show.

Vicenza - May 18, 2012: A highlight of the 2012 CIBJO Congress was the session held under the banner of CIBJO’s Sector B, which covers jewellery distribution. Chaired by Simon Rainer, president of the CIBJO Association Executives’ Networking Commission (CAENCOM), who stood in for absent Sector B president Ian Hadassin, he challenged his colleagues to list the services their associations were developing and to identify in which areas it would be possible to pool and share resources in the development and provision of value adding services and products.

Vicenza - May 18, 2012: Meeting at the 2012 CIBJO Congress in Vicenza on May 18, much attention of the Pearl Commission attention remained focused on Clause 4.2.7 of the CIBJO Pearl Book, which refers specifically to the use of the unqualified word “pearl.”

The CIBJO Gemmological Commission convened on May 18, the second day of the 2012 CIBJO Congress, with its president, Hanco Zwaan, guiding its participants through amendments made to the Laboratory Blue Book. In particular, they were asked to look into the definitions and descriptions of irradiated quartz .