CIBJO President Gaetano Cavalieri was an officiating VIP guest at the ribbon cutting ceremony at the Hong Kong International Show, which commenced at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre on March 5.
In this honorary role, he was accompanied by Rep. Starry Lee Wai-king, a member of Legislative Council of Hong Kong representing the constituency of Kowloon West.
Also joining Dr. Cavalieri on the podium were Bi Lijun, Vice Director of the National Gems & Jewellery Technology Administrative Centre of the Ministry of Land and Resources of the Peoples' Republic of China, Fred Lam, Executive Director of the Hong King Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and Lawrence Ma, Chairman of the HKTDC Jewellery Advisory Committee.
Dr. Cavalieri was also a keynote speaker at a seminar organized at the Hong Kong International Show on the Global J-ID Management Label Scheme, which has been developed by the Hong Kong Jewellery Manufacturers' Association, in partnership with the Hong Kong Productivity Council and with the support of the Innovation and Technology Commission of the Government of Hong Kong SAR.
It involves a permanent barcode laser-engraved on an item of jewellery, which contains essential information about the item and the company that produced it. The barcode can be read using a specially developed J-ID reader, and customers can verify the information contained in the barcode on J-ID's official website.
"We deal in products that reflect people's dreams, desires and feelings of self-image," Dr. Cavalieri said in his address. This brings with it a very high degree of responsibility, for our clients will not tolerate a situation in which their dreams, desires or feelings of self-image are compromised by jewellery and gemstones with tarnished reputations. Our clients' trust is the very foundation of our business.
"Full disclosure, personal integrity and traceability are essential to maintain our client's trust. We have to disclose exactly what we are selling, from where the jewellery was sourced and how it was manufactured and graded."
Dr. Cavalieri applauded the development of project like the Global J-ID Management Label Scheme, which he said "disclose to clients what they are buying and provide a jewellery item with instant traceability." He noted that the J-ID system used the terminology and nomenclature contained in the CIBJO Blue Books.
