The CGWG and LVMH highlight the inner workings of the coloured gemstone industry with the publication of “Ancient Craft, Modern Challenges”

LVMH, alongside Chopard, Kering, Richemont, Swarovski and mining companies Gemfields and Muzo, is working to develop more responsible practices in the jewelry supply chain. The Coloured Gemstones Working Group (CGWG), which includes the LVMH Group as a founding member, is publishing a series of documents on the theme of “Ancient Craft, Modern Challenges”, written by experts in order to elucidate and share expertise from the coloured gemstone industry.

The publication of the “Ancient Craft, Modern Challenges” series follows the launch in April 2021 of the Gemstones and Jewelry Community Platform by the CGWG, a free digital community platform intended for all companies in the sector, from mining to retail. This new initiative represents another major step for encouraging responsible sourcing of coloured gemstones.

The document series traces the full trajectory of coloured gemstones, from their formation and discovery to their sale, including extraction, cutting and polishing. Actors from every corner of the industry lend their point of view to the collection. These articles reflect the dual aim of companies in the sector to achieve greater transparency while also respecting the traditional crafts involved in extracting precious, coloured gemstones and the relationships they have fostered over hundreds of years.

The first paper in the series, entitled “Hands that Dig, Hands that Feed: Lives Shaped by Coloured Gemstone Mining”, studies changes taking place within traditional mining operations which are now facing massive disruption due to the arrival of new players in the sector. The article analyzes the advantages and drawbacks of various types of mining operations, as well as the impact on communities that depend on this long-standing activity.

Over the next three months, various articles will be published on the CGWG platform in order to inform and enlighten readers about the precious gemstone industry.

“The CGWG’s paper series ‘Ancient Crafts, Modern Challenges’ serve as a jumping-off point for research and debate, to engage and to inform. LVMH and its Maisons are committed to working together with the CGWG to highlight what the complex business of responsible sourcing means in the jewelry and gemstone supply chain and how the people, practices and process at each stage play their part,” says Hélène Valade, Environment Development Group Director at LVMH.

The documents are edited by TDi Sustainability, commissioned by and in consultation with the CGWG, and feature major contributions from international experts and key industry players.

To discover the “Ancient Craft, Modern Challenges” document series, visit the platform at: https://gemstones-and-jewellery.com/research/