On Nov. 15, 1884 the Jewellers Security Alliance of Canada, the forerunner for the Canadian Jewellers Association (CJA), was founded in Toronto. Its purpose was to help jewellers strengthen their security measure, generally discourage jewellery store theft and uphold the following purposes and objectives:

1. To promote close co-operation among members.
2. To disseminate information on legislation affecting the trade.
3. To protect members against unbusinesslike methods and inculcate a Code of Ethics.
4. To reform abuses in the trade.
5. To obtain freedom from unjust and unlawful exactations.
6. To diffuse accurate information among members in the customs and usages of the trade.
7. To settle differences between members by arbitration or otherwise, and promote friendly intercourse between members and various branches of the trade.
   

On June 4, 1918 the CJA gathered for its first official meeting and in 1921 established a Code of Ethics for its members. Since then, the CJA has updated its Code of Ethics to reflect the changes in the sale and service of jewellery. All members of the CJA are responsible for the following:

• To maintain the highest level of personal integrity, honesty and business ethics.
• To comply with all Government laws and regulations relating to the jewellery and watch industry.*
• To support and abide by the regulations, constitution and objectives of the Canadian Jewellers Association and this Code of Ethics.
• To provide a standard of product and service of the highest possible quality commensurate with price.
• To clearly establish the guarantee and/or service policy regarding all merchandise and to fulfill that policy.
• To provide knowledgeable and competent expertise and clearly indicate the true quality of products offered for sale.
• To adhere to sound business practices and thus ensure continuing service to both customers and suppliers alike.
• To refrain from all forms of copyright and trademark infringement.
  

*CJA members are required to add wording on all invoices containing rough or polished diamonds and jewellery containing diamonds which tells consumers the diamonds were purchased from legitimate sources not involved in funding conflict in compliance with United Nations Resolution. Full text available from CJA.

With these objectives firmly in place, the CJA turned its focus toward eliminating a luxury tax imposed by the federal government nearly 90 years ago. The federal government, searching for more revenues to support the war, had imposed an Excise Tax on all jewellery products.  A key success for the Association was the repeal on May 2, 2006 of the long-standing tax.