Federpreziosi turns 65: a story of “joint work”

PICTURE: FROM L’ARALDO DELL’ORAFO IMAGES OF THE HISTORIC CONGRESS OF 1953 IN THE CAMPIDOGLIO

The fourth historic National Jewelry & Watches Congress, held in the Campidoglio – Rome – in 1953, marked the beginning of the joint work of 25 Federations representing the Italian jewelry segment, which is currently carried out by 54 local associations of Federpreziosi Confcommercio Imprese per l’Italia

Not everyone might know or remember that on 7 November Federpreziosi turned 65. 1945 (April 21^st) was the year of the constitution of the “National Federation for Italian Jewelers, Gold-Silversmiths, Clock-makers and others, based in Rome – Corso Vittorio Emanuele 101”, as documented by a notarial paper of the time, carefully preserved in the archives.

Eight years later, on the occasion of the Extraordinary Assembly of the Federation, held in Bologna on 7-8 March 1953, 25 Associations operating throughout the Italian territory, affiliated with the Federation and representing the 14 “class” categories, among which the jewelry segment and the category of gold jewelry retail traders, decided “that its name should be modified to Italian Confederation of Gold Jewelers Silversmiths Clockmakers and others Confedorafi, and that the national class categories should assume the name of National Federations”. This decision sanctioned, in fact, the date of birth of the National Federation of Gold Jewelers Retail Traders (Federazione Nazionale degli Orafi Gioiellieri Commercianti al Dettaglio).

Commitment and achievements in the history of Federpreziosi

Since then and up to the end of the Sixties, the National Federation had to face several and complex issues in the context of Confedorafi: the abolition of the I.G.E. (general income tax) for this category in accordance with the equalizing principle for the gold and watch class; labor collective contracts and apprenticeship rules; regulations of precious metals’ titers and hallmarks. The complexity of such themes, which were fundamental for the national jewelry segment, did not hinder the successful development of numerous initiatives at an international level as well, among which the extension on a world associative basis – together with 9 more national organizations – of CIBJO (Confédération Internationale de la Bijouterie, Joaillerie, Orfèvrerie des Diamants, Perles et Pierres – International Confederation of Jewelry, Diamond Jewelry, Pearls and Stones – known now as The World Jewellery Confederation), and of the Italian Diamond Advertising Committee, consolidating over the years the relationship with De Beers.

The salient moments of these 65 years of history are quoted in Federpreziosi’s website. It is worth recalling the main stages of the “joint work” of the 25 Federations which is now carried on by the 54 local Associations forming part of Federpreziosi Confcommercio Imprese per l’Italia.

 

by Chiara Marseglia