NGTC held open Forum meeting

Gem and Jewellery institutes came together

under one umbrella to form AGA

National Gem Testing Center (NGTC) organised a half day open Forum meeting Win-Win on 28th afternoon with CIBJO, GIT, GII, CGL, DFHK, GHK and HKIG as co-organisers. NGTC invited many experts from many institutes to talk or present views in Win-Win.

For the first time, an effort is being made to bring Asia-pacific countries under one umbrella to form Asia-Pacific Gemstone and Technology Standardisation Alliance (AGA). The idea was seeded through bilateral meetings between NGTC and GII, and is progressively evolving. This meeting consists of three sessions and each session begins with a lead invited talk followed by panel discussion.

The topics of lead talks in the three sessions were 1. Challenges of International Trade, 2. Uniform rules and International Jewellery Industry and 3. Prospects for International standardisation in Asia-pacific and China. Besides, panelists will cover various areas that are of current concern like trade discipline, consumer confidence and technical barriers to trade, laboratory standards, gemological research and harmonisation of protocols, protection of consumer interest and specific measures, in the three sessions.

Shri Bakul R Mehta, Chairman- GII presented his views on “The challenges of international Jewellery Trade” as an invited speaker in the first session. Dr. M.D. Sastry and Dr. A.V.R. Reddy of GII are invited experts to express views in various panel discussions.

In the side lines of this meeting two satellite meetings had arranged. The first one was a bilateral meeting between Gemmological Institute of India (GII), Mumbai and NGTC, China that was also scheduled on 28th February 2019 during 11-12 AM in HK Convention center, Wan Chai.

Both GII and NGTC are two of the oldest institutes in Asia and are providing much needed formal training in Gemmology, gem testing & certification and carrying out R&D in Gemmology and Jewellery. Both these institutes continue to render yeomen services in these areas and have forged alliance by entering into an Agreement with an LOI during November 2017 in Beijing, China.

This alliance is aimed at promoting developments of standards, evolving harmonised procedures, standardisation of laboratories with internationally acceptable prototocols etc, and with a final goal of formation of Asia-Pacific Gemstone and Technology Standardisation Alliance (AGA).

In this meeting under the leadership of Mr. Bakul Mehta, GII and Mr. Liang Zhenjie, NGTC, progress made so far was reviewed. The main Agenda for discussions centers around exchange of technical expertise, planning exchange of teachers and identifying areas that need urgent attention like technical cooperation for Developing and Promoting Harmonised methods, methodologies and standards. An effort made to look into feasibility of joint certification by NGTC, Mumbai and GII, Mumbai as a first step, and arrive at a draft road map.

The second one was worked out modalities and modus operandi for the formation of AGA in the evening of 27th February 2019. Meanwhile, a laudable initiative by NGTC resulted in a draft template for establishing AGA and NGTC invited The Gem and Jewellery Institute of Thai (GIT) to join NGTC and GII for this meeting.