Milan: With two weeks to go to the opening of the 2016 CIBJO Congress in Yerevan, Armenia, on October 26, 2016, the eighth and the final instalment of the CIBJO commissions’ pre-congress Special Reports has been released. Prepared by the CIBJO Coral Commission, headed by Vincenzo Liverino, the report describes upgrades to the Coral Blue Book of accepted standards, practices and nomenclature, plans to create a comprehensive Coral Guide; and activities undertaken in 2016 to promote sustainable coral harvesting.

The Coral Book, which is the most recently introduced of the CIBJO Blue Books of accepted industry standards and nomenclature, having been ratified at the CIBJO Congress last year in Brazil, has been extensively upgraded over the past year, with the addition of photographs, illustrations and tables, as well as new sections about coral sustainability and regulations for harvesting in the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean.

The Coral Special Report details a seminar that CIBJO organised at the Hong Kong International Diamond, Gem & Jewellery Show in March 2016, together with the Italian Trade Commission, which concentrated on the implementation of environmentally sound practices in coral harvesting and pearl farming.

“A cornerstone of CIBJO sustainable business approach is responsible environmental practices throughout the gemstone and jewellery industry. This is most certainly the case in the coral sector, where the essential elements include the protection of the biosphere, the sustainable use of natural resources, production transparency and product disclosure, and committed management and compliance with local laws,” wrote Mr. Liverino.