(PRESS RELEASE) MILAN, ITALY — CIBJO President Gaetano Cavalieri has received the 2023 IPMI Jun-ichiro Tanaka Distinguished Achievement Award in recognition of his contribution to the precious metals industry. The award was made by Koichiro Tanaka, CEO of the Tokyo-headquartered Tanaka Group, during the 47th Conference of the International Precious Metals Institute (IPMI) in Scottsdale, Arizona, USA, on June 13.
The Jun-ichiro Tanaka Distinguished Achievement Award, which is sponsored by the Tanaka Memorial Foundation, recognizes important career contributions to the advancement of the precious metals industry, be it technical, economic or managerial. Most previous award recipients have been scientists, affiliated with many of the world’s most renowned academic institutions.
CIBJO President Gaetano Cavalieri addressing the 47th IPMI Conference. ‘Sustainability in a luxury product industry like jewelry will not be achieved through a single undertaking, but rather through a multitude of acts, by people and companies working together or individually,’ he said.
The IPMI Awards Committee recognized Dr. Cavalieri as “one of the most prominent leaders in the international jewelry industry, which includes more than 20 years as president of CIBJO.”
Speaking after receiving the award, the CIBJO President said he found it inspirational that his and CIBJO’s work had been acknowledged by their peers. “We do not do what we do for accolades, but rather what is right for our industry, our stakeholders and our consumers,” he said. “But I believe that this important recognition indicates that our themes of transparency, responsibility and social awareness have resonated throughout our community, and to have them placed at the same level as some of the most groundbreaking scientific accomplishments is truly gratifying. I thank the Tanaka Memorial Foundation and IPMI for their generosity.”
Earlier, Dr. Cavalieri delivered a wide-ranging address to the IPMI Conference, examining a holistic approach to responsible sourcing and supply chain integrity in the jewelry industry. Founded in 1976, IPMI is the preeminent trade association for the precious metals industry, with more 600 members globally, involved in every aspect of the precious metals world, including exploration and mining, refining and manufacturing banking, trading and finance, pharma and biomedical, automotive, electronics and other consumer goods.
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“Sustainability in a luxury product industry like jewelry will not be achieved through a single undertaking, but rather through a multitude of acts, by people and companies working together or individually,” he told the conference. “Over the past several years there has been a strong move towards the adoption of uniform standards of practice in this regard.”
Addressing the issue of traceability, Dr. Cavalieri said: “In an ideal world, we would have absolute knowledge of who held custody over any jewelry component during the mining, processing, manufacturing and trading process. But that is not currently possible. With the exception of a few high-end brands, which buy all raw materials at the source and have full control over their chains of distribution, full traceability is simply a bridge too far for most companies at present.”
“There are number of technologies that, one day, may change the equation,” he continued. “But right now I believe in doing what is reasonably possible. This means that we should concentrate on transparent codes of practice, managed through appropriate and viable due diligence. These can ensure that, to the best of our ability, there are no negative impacts associated with the goods we sell, and to the greatest degree possible there are positive impacts, in line with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.”
