Structure is what makes a network a market.

Core principles

Before any rule, three principles that everything else follows from:

• Real people, real stones, real prices. Every member is a verified professional. Every offer is a real, available stone. Every price is the price.
• Structure over chatter. Posts follow templates. Conversations stay relevant. Off-topic talk happens elsewhere.
• Discretion is non-negotiable. Nothing leaves the room. Screenshots, forwards and reposts of IGE content to non-members are grounds for immediate removal.

Identity & verification

Membership is in your real name and real company.

• Your Telegram display name must read: First Last · Company · City. Example: Sophie Berr · Berr & Partners · Geneva.
• One person, one account. You may not post on behalf of a colleague — they need their own membership.
• If your company changes, notify the moderators within 14 days so we can re-verify.
• Anonymous accounts, brokers without principals, and "intermediaries" who will not name themselves are not admitted.

Posting templates

Every offer or request follows one of two formats. Use the labels exactly as written. If a field doesn't apply, write N/A — but don't omit it.

#FORSALE

Gem:           [Ruby / Sapphire / Emerald / …]
Weight:        [carats — to 2 decimals]
Shape / Cut:   [Cushion · Oval · Emerald-cut · Pear …]
Dimensions:    [L × W × D in mm]
Origin:        [Country / Mine — declared, not implied]
Treatment:     [None · Heat · Minor oil · Significant oil · …]
Certification: [Lab name + report number — or NONE]
Color / Quality:[Brief, honest description]
Asking price:  [USD / EUR / CHF — net, not "best offer"]
Location:      [City the stone can be shown / shipped from]
Contact:       [@telegram-handle]

+ HD photo or short video (mandatory)

#WANTED

Gem:           [Ruby / Sapphire / Emerald / …]
Weight range:  [e.g. 3 – 5 ct]
Shape / Cut:   [or "open"]
Origin:        [Specific country / mine — or "open"]
Treatment:     [None only · Heat OK · Open …]
Certification: [Required lab(s) — or "open"]
Quality target:[Color, clarity, brilliance — be specific]
Budget:        [Range per carat or per stone]
Use:           [Stock · Specific client · Pair / suite …]
Deadline:      [Date — or "ongoing"]
Contact:       [@telegram-handle]

Selling Floor rules

• Three stones per member, per week. Calendar week, Monday 00:00 to Sunday 23:59 CET. The cap exists to keep the feed quality high.
• One stone per post. A matched pair, a calibrated suite, or a parcel sold as one lot may be posted as a single offer.
• Real photos only. No stock images, no studio renders, no AI. A clear in-hand photo or short (under 30s) video is mandatory.
• State the asking price. "DM for price", "Best offer", "POA" are not accepted. If you can't quote, you're not ready to post.
• Disclose treatment honestly. Heat, oil, beryllium diffusion, fracture filling — declare it. A non-disclosed treatment is the fastest way out of the network.
• Mark the outcome. When the stone is sold or pulled, edit the post to SOLD or WITHDRAWN. This keeps the floor clean.
• No re-posting. The same stone may be re-offered no sooner than 30 days after the first post.

Buying Desk rules

• Unlimited requests — within reason. Post as much real demand as you have. Repeated identical requests on consecutive days will be removed.
• Offers come back in private. Sellers reply directly to the buyer in DM, not on the desk feed. The desk stays a list of demand, not a thread of replies.
• Be specific. "Looking for emeralds" is not a request. Weight range, origin tolerance, treatment tolerance, certification and budget are required.
• State the use. Stock vs. a named client request changes how sellers respond. Be honest about it.
• Mark FILLED. When the search is closed, edit the post. This stops sellers wasting time on a request that's no longer live.

Closing & etiquette

Once two members are talking, the trade itself happens between them — IGE is the introduction, not the escrow. A few habits that keep the network healthy:

• Reply to messages within 24 hours, even if the answer is "not for me".
• Memo, viewing or shipping terms are agreed in writing before the stone moves.
• If a deal closes through IGE, you don't owe the network anything — but a quiet "closed via IGE" note to the moderators helps us measure what's working.
• Disputes between members are first raised between the parties. If unresolved, write to raphael.berr@berrandpartners.ch in confidence.
• Treat every member the way you'd treat a respected dealer at a Geneva show — because that is, literally, who they are.

Prohibited conduct

The following are grounds for immediate removal, with no second chance:

Synthetic or treated stones presented as natural; lab certificates of stones other than the one offered; "rebadging" of origin (Mong Hsu sold as Mogok, lab-grown sold as natural) — all of these end your membership the day they're discovered, and the trade hears about it.

Enforcement

IGE is moderated by a small team within Berr & Partners. We are not arbitrators — we are gatekeepers.

• Format violations are quietly corrected or the post is removed. No drama, no public callout.
• Repeated format violations earn a private warning, then a posting suspension.
• Disclosure violations (treatment, origin, certification) result in immediate, permanent removal — and a note in our records.
• Discretion violations (sharing IGE content outside the network) are treated as the most serious breach. Permanent removal.

Decisions on enforcement are final and not negotiated publicly. If you believe a decision was made in error, write to us privately.