Fairtrade and CIBJO to promote precious metals

Fairtrade International and the World Jewellery Confederation (CIBJO) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to improve Fairtrade gold supplies for the jewellery market and encourage the integration of Fairtrade gold and precious metals into national supply chains.

The agreement was made at the 2014 CIBJO conference in Moscow last week, and was signed by CIBJO President Gaetano Cavalieri and Fairtrade International’s Fairtrade Gold coordinator Greg Valerio.

According to the MOU, Fairtrade commits to work with CIBJO and its member organisations to improve certified Fairtrade gold supplies to the jewellery markets and members of CIBJO-associated organisations, while CIBJO commits to facilitating and encouraging its members to adopt and integrate Fairtrade gold and precious metals into their national supply chains.

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BJA calls for entries to its Charity Charm competition

As part of IJLs late night shopping event on August 31, there will be a charity auction where visitors to IJL have the opportunity to bid for a unique piece of jewellery for themselves

BJA Chairman Gary Wroe of Birmingham manufacturer Hockley Mint will cast the bracelet for Breast Cancer Care fashioned by BJA National Committee member Sarah Jordan. Jordan and five other high profile designers - Shaun Leane, Tomasz Donocik, Andrew Goeghegan, Linda MacDonald, and Alexander Davis - have each pledged to design and make an original charm to be attached to it.

All of those taking part are extremely well-known and have won national and international awards for their designs, including for Geoghegan and Macdonald the title of BJA Designer of the Year and Donocik, Jordan and Davis the UK Jewellery Awards

The Association is now staging a competition to pick two further charms to attach to the bracelet and an entry form is now available online at The closing date for entries will be June 27 and the winners will be announced in early July.

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