Trust but Verify - How Standards can add value to your business | INHORGENTA 2026

Moderator: Dr. Laurent Cartier, Head of Special Initiatives, SSEF, Switzerland Speakers: - Charlie Betts, Managing Director, The Betts Group, UK - Edward Johnson, Corporate Responsibility Director, Gemfields, UK - Guya Merkle, Founder, Vieri, Germany Laurent Cartier is Head of Special Initiatives at the Swiss Gemmological Institute SSEF and a lecturer in gemmology at University of Lausanne & ELSTE, as well as being an affiliated associate professor at the University of Delaware (USA). He holds a PhD from the University of Basel (Switzerland). Laurent is co-founder of the Sustainable Pearls project. His PhD research explored sustainability and traceability issues in pearl farming. He also co-founded The Gemstones and Sustainable Development Knowledge Hub. His work has been reported by National Geographic, BBC, FastCoExist, Financial Times, Vogue and Tages Anzeiger. Charlie Betts represents the ninth consecutive generation of the Betts family to manage The Betts Group - a business focusing on refining precious metals and manufacturing jewellery and investment products. Charlie is also the managing director of Single Mine Origin Gold. Charlie has experienced first-hand the recent surge in consumer engagement with responsible sourcing in the jewellery industry. He has an expert understanding of the challenges faced by jewellers in reliably and cost-effectively acquiring materials with detailed provenance. Edward’s career has focused on knowledge, ethics and integrity within t