From September 4 through September 7, 2026, the leadership of the jewellery, gemstone and precious metals industries will gather in Vicenza, Italy, at the CIBJO Congress. It is an event that takes place annually, but this one marks an unprecedented milestone, for it will mark the 100th year since the founding of the World Jewellery Confederation.

The organisation today known as CIBJO was established in Paris, France, as BIBOA, to represent and advance the interests of the jewellery trade in Europe. But it was restructured in 1961 as CIBJO – an acronym of the French name “Confédération International de la Bijouterie, Joaillerie, Orfèvrerie des Diamants, Perles et Pierres.” In so doing, it  expanded its focus to cover the entire globe. 

CIBJO Congresses serve as the official gathering place for the World Jewellery Confederation’s Assembly of Delegates, and also are the venue for the annual meetings of CIBJO’s sectoral commissions, where amendments can be introduced to the organisation’s definitive directories of international industry standards for diamonds, coloured stones, pearls, gem labs, precious metals, coral and responsible sourcing, known as the Blue Books. Congresses are also where the programme of the World Jewellery Confederation Education Foundation (WJCEF) and CIBJO’s ongoing cooperation with the United Nations is reported upon, and in particular its commitment to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

Join us in Vicenza for a celebration of both CIBJO and the jewellery industry.