Fifth pre-CIBJO Congress 2025 special report released
Previews opal varieties and jade guides for coloured stones sector With fewer than six weeks to go to the opening of the 2025 CIBJO Congress in Paris, France, on October 27, 2025, the fifth of the pre-congress Special Reports has been released. Prepared by the CIBJO Coloured Stones Commission, headed by Charles Abouchar, the report focuses on two material specific-guides – for opal and jade – that currently are being prepared, as well as addressing the impact of U.S. import tariffs on the coloured gemstone sector and the correct descriptive terminology for synthetic stones. The Opal Guide, which has been worked on since the CIBJO Congress in Bangkok in 2017, outlines classification criteria for all opal varieties , treatment categories and disclosure requirements, and provides standardised terminology to ensure consistency across markets. The Jade Guide, which originally was initiated to reconcile the terminology, identification and grading of jade in relati...