Celebrating the launch of the Fei Cui Standard Website—moving towards an International Standard

Industry leaders and expert advisors came together on 20th April 2021 in an online meeting in celebration of the Launch of the Fei Cui Standard Website,  feicui.gahk.org. 

Dr Edward Liu, GAHK Vice Chairman and moderator, announced the official posting of GAHK’s Standard Methods for Testing Fei Cui for Hong Kong (HKSM/FCT-2016) (thereafter to be known as the Fei Cui Standard) on the website feicui.gahk.org, and then a condensed version of the complimentary video of project advisors and other distinguished guests was broadcast.

Congratulation message of the project advisors and distinguished guests (condensed version). 

Prof Mimi Ouyang, Mr Kent Wong, Mr Eddie Fan, Dr Norman Siu and technical support colleagues in the CTF office. 

In his welcome speech, Mr Eddie Fan, GAHK Chairman, thanked the advisors from Hong Kong, Asia, Europe and Mainland China for their significant contributions to the Project Working Team. He explained that the purpose of the Website was to make the content of GAHK’s Fei Cui Standard and other information concerning Fei Cui, as well as testing report templates, accessible to those in the trade, industry practitioners, gemmologists and the general public.  Prof Mimi Ouyang, chief academic advisor of the Project,  declared Fei Cui (翡翠) to be the appropriate nomenclature for any jade item composed of the minerals jadeite, omphacite and kosmochlor.  

Mr Eddie Fan, GAHK Chairman, thanked the advisors from Hong Kong, Asia, Europe and Mainland China for their significant contributions to the Project Working Team. 

Prof Mimi Ouyang declared Fei Cui (翡翠) to be the appropriate nomenclature for any jade item composed of the minerals jadeite, omphacite and kosmochlor.

Reporting to the meeting, Dr Edward Liu first reviewed the development of GAHK’s Fei Cui Standard, Certification & Label Scheme on Fei Cui, the Association’s Certified Gemmologist (C.G.) registration system and CPD programme, and the accreditation of Fei Cui testing laboratories with ISO/IEC 17025, in place since the early 2000s. 

Dr Edward Liu reviewed the development of Fei Cui Standard, Certification & Label Scheme on Fei Cui, Certified Gemmologist registration system and CPD programme, and accreditation of Fei Cui testing laboratories with ISO/IEC 17025. 

Then he summed up the feedback from around the world following Kent Wong's and his presentations at the 2019 CIBJO Congress Special Session on Fei Cui (翡翠), Jade and Jadeite, and the adoption of the Fei Cui Standard by founding members of AGA as a common source of regulation and information in their regions.   Looking to the future, Dr Liu concluded with an invitation to all present to support GAHK in working towards the Internationalisation of the Fei Cui Standard. 

Dr Edward Liu invited all present to support GAHK in working towards the Internationalisation of the Fei Cui Standard. 

Immediately following Dr Liu’s report, Mr Kent Wong gave a presentation entitled “Ignite Creativities, Enrich Opportunities through Global Collaboration.” He stressed that although Fei Cui, was a Chinese term, it was widely used by international auction houses, retail catalogues and lab testing reports. The creative use of Fei Cui with other gemstones and precious metals could enhance the scope of what retailers showecased and he was of the opinion that Fei Cui could provide a stimulus to the jewellery trade around the world. This would help the global jewellery market to expand at a faster pace and promote the overall development of the jewellery industry.

Mr Kent Wong’s presentation “Ignite Creativities, Enrich Opportunities through Global Collaboration”

Mr Kent Wong stressed Fei Cui could provide a stimulus to the jewellery trade around the world.

CIBJO President Dr Gaetano Cavalieri was one of the distinguished speakers at this international online event. He was emphatic in his concern that CIBJO must pay serious attention to the Fei Cui jewellery trade and CIBJO should focus its attention on the 4/5 of the world that has yet to know and really understand Fei Cui.  He assured the meeting that GAHK’s proposal that Fei Cui should be listed in the Blue Books was being given serious consideration. CIBJO would form a special working team to work on this and on the development of the Fei Cui standard, and he stressed that GAHK delegates should be included in this special working team.

Dr Gaetano Cavalieri stressed that GAHK delegates should be included in CIBJO special working team to work on this and on the development of the Fei Cui standard.

Next, Dr Yang Lixin, AGA Secretary General and Director of the NGTC’s Standardisation Office, in his presentation “Pragmatic Cooperation and Mutual Development for a More Internationalised Standard of Fei Cui,” gave his opinion that GAHK’s Fei Cui Standard was a good supplement to China’s three national standards, namely Gems—Nomenclature, Gems—Testing and Fei Cui—Grading.  In order to achieve the internationalisation of the Fei Cui standard, Dr Yang suggested that we should start from China, and Asia and gradually win the recognition of the international industry. Working together, an ISO standard of Fei Cui terminology and testing methods should be proposed and formulated in the future.

Dr Yang Lixin’s presentation “Pragmatic Cooperation and Mutual Development for a More Internationalised Standard of Fei Cui”

Dr Yang Lixin gave his opinion that GAHK’s Fei Cui Standard was a good supplement to China’s three national standards. 

Dr Edward Liu and Dr Yang Lixin were moderators for the last section of the meeting where the Fei Cui Standard advisors and other distinguished guests from CIBJO and AGA were invited to share their views.  Mr Rui Galopim de Carvalho from CIBJO, Mr Sunki Kim from HGI, Mr Henry Ho from AIGS, Mr Sumed Prasongpongchai and Mr Thanong Leelawatanasuk from GIT, and Dr Wen Hon from NGTC all responded actively to the moderators’ request and expressed their opinions enthusiastically.

Dr Edward Liu, Dr Yang Lixin and Mr Edward Johnson, moderators of the meeting, invited the Fei Cui Standard advisors and distinguished guests from CIBJO and AGA to share their views.

Mr Rui Galopim de Carvalho from CIBJO, Mr Sunki Kim from HGI, Mr Henry Ho from AIGS, Mr Sumed Prasongpongchai and Mr Thanong Leelawatanasuk from GIT, and Dr Wen Hon from NGTC expressed their opinions enthusiastically.

In his closing remarks, Mr Edward Johnson, moderator, encouraged all the guests and participants at this international event to be active in their dissemination of information about the Fei Cui Standard and the link of the Fei Cui Website, feicui.gahk.hk, to their friends and communities. The international event then closed with the playing of a full version of the complimentary video.

This report is prepared by Dr Norman Siu and submitted to AGA for posting on their website.

Dr Norman Siu

Event coordinator of Celebration of the Launch of Fei Cui Standard Website (feicui.gahk.org) cum Online Meeting of Industry and Expert Advisors; Project specialist of Fei Cui Standard Project; GAHK Director of Certification & Label Scheme and Director of Education