CIBJO, the World Jewellery Confederation, has dedicated its latest Blue Book to the coral industry and has released it online. The Book is accessible on its website. The contents of the Blue Book delineate acceptable trade practices and nomenclature for the coral industry and trade. The document was compiled by the CIBJO Coral Commission, headed by Commission President Enzo Liverino, under the auspices of CIBJO's Sector A, which has jurisdiction over gem materials.

"The Coral Blue Book is an additional tool developed by CIBJO to ensure ethical business practices and transparency in the jewellery business," said Gaetano Cavalieri, CIBJO President. "It focuses on a sector that operates in a very fragile eco-environment, where proper standards and methods of operation are absolutely essential. I congratulate Enzo Liverino and his colleagues in the Coral Commission not only for their vision and effort, but also for the contribution they have made to our industry."

In its comprehensive data, the Book classifies both non-treated and treated corals, artificial products that imitate and/or include coral elements, a listing of normative terms that should be used to describe coral and disclose treatments, terminology that should be applied to define associated artificial products, methods of maintaining the quality of coral jewellery and various types of different precious coral species are itemised.

"Although coral has been featured in jewellery for millennia, it remains a product that is not widely understood," said Mr Liverino. "Our goals in producing the Coral Book of course included creating common sets of standards, practices and nomenclature, similar to those which have been created by CIBJO for other sectors of the industry, but also to address important issues of environmental responsibility and sustainability that are specific to coral. It has been a privilege working with the team on the Coral Commission. This is a milestone for all of us."

Because of the unique nature of coral, which is an organism grown in nature without human intervention, the Coral Book includes reference to the Washington Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), which entered into force in 1975 to address concerns that many living species were becoming endangered because of commerce between countries. The document also outlines national and regional regulations promoting the sustainable harvesting of coral.

The Coral Book is the sixth in the Blue Book series. CIBJO's Sector A has recently released online the updated editions of the Diamond Book, the Gemstone Book and the Pearl Book. Speaking on the Coral Book, Roland Naftule, CIBJO Vice President and President of Sector A said, "It is important to note that its release represents but the end of the first stage in an on-going journey.” He further added, “Each Blue Book is a living document, which is reviewed constantly, and updated and amended when necessary."