gemological institutes | Mines to Market

IGI smells a rat in diamond certification by another agency. The International Gemological Institute (IGI), the world’s largest independent gemological laboratory, has uncovered a large diamond as lab-grown which was originally certified as natural by its rival the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). With its size of 6.18 carat graded as round brilliant-cut, loose stone and established it was a lab-grown diamond at its Thailand location. However, the stone was submitted for verification purposes and came with a GIA certificate that stated it was a natural diamond, D colour, flawless clarity and triple excellent cut, reinforcing the growing importance of secondary review from gemological institutes. “This is the largest lab-grown diamond ever certified by a leading gemological laboratory, where the sole purpose was to pass off a lab-grown stone as natural,” said Bob Van Es, Managing Director, IGI Thailand and Hong Kong. “At IGI, we have seen a huge increase in double verification demand, which means before going for a major purchase, consumers like to receive confirmation that the stone matches the original report,” Bob added. While qualities of the stone closely corresponded to the GIA report, IGI’s expert gemologists quickly ascertained — using state-of-the-art detection equipment — that the diamond was lab-grown and was cut and polished specifically to match the data on the GIA report with meticulous precision previously never seen. The stone was inscribed with a fake laser number to further the deception, which has become a practice for persons outside of the industry to purposely and easily mislead consumers. “A second opinion ensures the integrity of diamonds through detailed analysis, which is an extra, necessary buffer that protects consumers from purchasing misrepresented gemstones,” said Roland Lorie, Chief Executive Officer, IGI. “As fraud becomes more apparent, IGI continues to demonstrate its expertise in identifying this malpractice and serving as the end authority for consumers to trust that Institute-certified jewellery is accurately graded and analyzed,” Roland added. Without certification, consumers are at risk of purchasing gemstones that are not consistent with their general descriptions. IGI is proud to provide consumers with the fifth “C,” — confidence. The IGI’s long-standing reputation of world-class verification and reporting allows fine jewellery shoppers to have confidence in the quality and value of their purchase.

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