With fewer than five weeks to go to the opening of the 2025 CIBJO Congress in Paris, France, on October 27, 2025, the sixth of the pre-congress Special Reports has been released. Prepared by the CIBJO Ethics Commission, headed by Sara Yood, the report outlines four critical dimensions of business integrity as relevant to the jewellery and watch industries, namely anti-money laundering and financial transparency, marketing ethics and greenwashing risks, consumer disclosure and product integrity, and technology and transparency tools.

“Today, no issue is more urgent than ensuring integrity and transparency across the supply chain,” Sara Yood writes. “As consumer expectations evolve and regulatory frameworks tighten, the industry must reaffirm its commitment to honest practices that protect both businesses and consumers. Blockchain technology, for example, can provide tamper-proof records of provenance, while artificial intelligence (AI) may lead to greater consistency in grading and pricing,”New technologies may be a useful tool for strengthening the integrity of the jewellery industry, Yood points out. she notes.

But she warns, technology also may pose a risk. “Blockchain systems rely on the accuracy of the data input. False or incomplete information at the source compromises the entire chain. AI systems, while efficient, may embed biases or lack transparency in their decision-making processes,” Ms. Yood states.

Integrity and transparency are not abstract ideals – they are necessities for the jewellery industry to continue to succeed. Without them, consumer trust erodes, regulators impose harsher restrictions, and the industry’s symbolic value is diminished.