Former CIBJO president dies aged 87
Jose Hess, president of the World Jewellery Confederation, served as the organisation’s first American president from 1997 to 2000
CIBJO, the World Jewellery Confederation, has paid tribute to Joss Hess, the organisation’s former president and world-renowned jewellery designer.
Hess served as the first American president of the World Jewellery Confederation from 1997 to 2000 and worked to nurture a generation of leadership for the international jewellery business.
He died peacefully at his home in St. Augustine, Florida on 9 February, 2021, at the age of 87.
Gaetano Cavalieri, CIBJO’s current president, said: “Jose is one of a handful of people that one can truly describe as having changed our industry, and he left it a better place.
“In so many respects I owe my position to him, for it was he that more than 20 years ago insisted that, if I really wanted to make my mark, I needed to devote myself to public service.”
He added: “I succeeded him as president, but he never left my side. He was my role model, mentor and friend.”
