CIBJO Coloured Stone Commission is nearing completion of its Emerald Guide, which it plans to introduce and initially ratify when it meets at the 2010 CIBJO Congress in Munich, Germany, on February 20. Ahead of the congress, the Coloured Stone Commission issued its annual special report.

The first section of the Emerald Guide discusses the gemstone’s four Cs, and the second section relates to the possible treatments that an emerald may have been subject to. The guide states that "a natural, unprocessed emerald is rare and has greater intrinsic value than one which has undergone any of the following main processes," which it lists as clarity modification, fissure filling and dying.

During its meeting, the Coloured Stone Commission plans to modify the Ruby Guide by adding Mozambique to the list of known mining localities. In its Sapphire Guide, it plans to add a qualifier that states: "Sapphires come in all colours of the rainbow except red."

In Munich, the Coloured Stone Commission will also consider a proposed coding system for gemstone treatments and modifications, and discuss a proposal for a coding system for gemstone varieties.

The Coloured Stone Commission Special Report includes a profile of Francesco Roberto, the author of the Emerald Guide. Now in his late 70s, Mr. Roberto’s history in the coloured gemstone business spans almost 60 years. He has served as vice president of CIBJO’s Sector III and vice president of the CIBJO Pearl Commission. At the 2008 CIBJO Congress in Dubai, he was given a special award in recognition on his contribution to the World Jewellery Confederation.

The Steering Committee of the Coloured Stone Commission will meet from 9:00 A.M. to 12:00 p.m. on February 19 in Room 5 at the International Congress Centre in Munich. The full 2010 CIBJO Congress session of the Coloured Stone Commission will take place from 2:00 P.M. to 4:30 P.M. on February 20, also in Room 5 at the International Congress Centre in Munich.

To download the full CIBJO Coloured Stone Commission report, please go to: http://download.cibjo.org/special_report_coloured_stone_commission.pdf