The Blue List is a glossary intended to standardise terminology used for responsible sourcing and sustainability. After three years of industry consultation, a draft was released in May, with a final edition initially expected in October; however, that deadline was later extended to early 2026.
CIBJO president Gaetano Cavalieri said providing clear definitions was critical to ensuring consumer confidence in the broader jewellery industry.
"The Blue List is a vital step toward greater consistency and credibility in how our industry communicates about responsibility,” he said.
"With growing demand for transparency, the absence of clear, harmonised terminology has led to confusion, even among professionals. By providing universally agreed language and guidance for substantiation, we are creating a common ground that strengthens trust both within the industry and with the public."
As part of a Congress held in Paris late last month, CIBJO has also discussed a potential revision to the terminology around lab-created diamonds. Cavalieri told JCK Online that industry collaboration was critical around contentious topics.
“Everyone is welcome to speak up. We are open. We never say one part of the industry is good, the other part is bad. We have someone from the lab-grown community on our lab-grown committee,” he explained.
“CIBJO’s main mission is consumer confidence. [Using the word synthetic] does not mean that one is real and the other is fake. It simply means they are two different products.”
He added: “The bottom line is that [lab-grown] prices have fallen. And when the prices fall, the people who bought the piece at $USD1,000 and then see the same product is $USD100 may feel that it is not a good choice.”
At the 2010 Congress, CIBJO approved a resolution to permit the use of alternative terms of lab-created diamonds, including ‘synthetic’, ‘laboratory-grown’ and ‘laboratory-created’. The use of words that could be misinterpreted, such as ‘real’ or ‘genuine’, is discouraged.
WATCH VIDEO
More reading
War of words continues as CIBJO plans lab-created diamond revision
Unveiling the fire within: A gemstone industry at a crossroads
CIBJO releases new glossary to standardise jewellery industry terminology
Terminology tussle: CIBJO suggests a new definition for recycled gold
End the bickering: CIBJO president calls for jewellery industry unity