Cibjo Centenary, Paris Pushes ‘Synthetics’

I’ve been on the move these past few days, attending the CIBJO Congress in Paris, and despite my best efforts, I missed my self-imposed Monday deadline — so, happy Tuesday.

CIBJO — the World Jewellery Confederation — kicked off its centenary year in the city of its birth, with celebrations set to continue at next year’s congress in Vicenza. If you’re not familiar, CIBJO is essentially an association of associations spanning the full jewelry spectrum. It plays many roles, but its greatest strength lies in education and knowledge-sharing across the trade. I consider it the industry’s main think tank, though that probably doesn’t describe the full extent of its reach. Learn more about CIBJO here.

Part of the first day’s program included a tour of the beautiful headquarters of Haute École de Joaillerie, with a fascinating exhibit of CIBJO’s archives. Some 600 students are learning the art of making jewelry there, under the patronage of France’s high-jewelry houses. It was quite an eye-opener to see the buzz and excitement among young students learning the craft.

This blog first appeared in the October 13 Pressing Matters Executive Memo. Read the full memo here, Pressing Matters, featuring the following sections:

• In Focus: Endiama's De Beers Bid

• Chart Check: De Beers Rough Output vs. Sales

• Industry Voices: Bernadette Pinet-Cuoq

• What I’m Thinking About

• What I'm Reading

• Coming Up

• Pic of the Week:

Students working on jewelry pieces in a workshop at Haute École de Joaillerie in Paris. (Credit: The Diamond Press)