With less than a month to go before the CIBJO Congress 2025 opens in Paris on 27th October, the seventh pre-congress Special Report has been released by the CIBJO Gemmological Commission, chaired by Hanco Zwaan.

“There have in recent years been concerns expressed about gemstone reports issued by different labs for the same stones, with different and sometime contradictory findings,” said Hanco Zwaan. “This has brought into question the qualifications of the laboratories issuing the reports, taking into consideration that, worldwide, there is very little official oversight as to what are the requirements for an organisation to claim to be a gem testing laboratory.”

Central to the proposed listing would be the CIBJO Gemmological Laboratories Blue Book, which outlines management and technical guidelines for gem labs, aligning with ISO Standard 17025. Other relevant Blue Books cover diamonds, coloured gemstones, pearls, and precious coral.

According to Dr. Zwaan, the system would allow the trade and consumers to clearly identify laboratories that operate with quality management systems and transparency. “The results given in reports often have a significant impact on the value of the item being reported upon,” he explained.

A key document that would have to be applied by listed labs would be the CIBJO Gemmological Laboratories Blue Book, a mammoth opus that is compiled by the Gemmological Commission. Providing guidelines for the management and technical operations of gem labs, it complies with and expands upon ISO Standard 17025, which is the internationally recognised accreditation management systems for testing and calibration laboratories. Also relevant are CIBJO’s Blue Books for diamonds, coloured gemstones, pearls and precious coral.

The Gemmology Special Report also reviews progress on the forthcoming CIBJO Jade Guide, highlights the Laboratory Manual Harmonisation Committee’s work, and examines the increasing role of artificial intelligence and machine learning in gemmology.