GIA Diamonds – Page 3 – The Diamond Certification Laboratory of Australia (DCLA)

Chinese Online Giant to Offer Verified GIA Reports

Technology provider Everledger has teamed up with the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) to verify diamond grading reports on e-commerce site JD.com, China’s largest retailer.

Everledger will synchronize the GIA’s grading information to JD’s existing anti-counterfeiting platform, giving consumers independently verified grading reports, the three organizations said in a joint statement Tuesday. The program will also offer origin information, while identifying and reducing fraud, such as the use of the same GIA report for multiple stones.

Using blockchain technology, the service will give “unprecedented” transparency and enhance the digital-shopping experience amid a rise in online diamond buying, the groups said. “Digitally savvy” millennials account for a larger proportion of diamond sales in China than elsewhere in the world, they added.

“Given the growth in e-commerce, fraud is a very real risk in the diamond market, which is why it’s so important that consumers have access to secure and trustworthy information,” explained Chris Taylor, Everledger’s chief operating officer. “By bringing cutting-edge blockchain technology, online luxury shopping, and GIA’s gold-standard grading expertise together on JD.com, we’re empowering consumers to purchase luxury items with increased confidence.”

The information will be available through JD’s mobile and desktop websites, as well as on its app. The e-commerce giant will also offer livestreams and educational initiatives to teach customers about fraud associated with purchasing diamonds.

London-based Everledger entered greater China in 2018, when it collaborated with the GIA and Hong Kong-based jewelry retailer Chow Tai Fook to offer consumers secure grading reports using blockchain technology. The technology company also partnered with Alrosa to offer provenance information on diamonds through Chinese multipurpose app WeChat. Tencent, which owns WeChat, led Everledger’s Series A funding round last year.

JD, headquartered in Beijing, recorded revenues of $82.9 billion in 2019, putting it ahead of rival Alibaba, which brought in $72 billion in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2020.

Source: Diamonds.net

GIA Now Able to Screen Fancy-Shaped Melee

The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) has expanded its melee-screening capabilities, with the organization now able to test whether parcels of fancy-shaped diamonds contain lab-grown or treated stones.

The melee-analysis service separates natural diamonds from synthetics, simulants and stones that are potentially treated using High Pressure-High Temperature (HPHT). Since launching it in 2016, the GIA has only been able to sort round-brilliant melee, the GIA said last week.

The service processes 1,800 to 2,000 stones per hour, and can also sort screened round diamonds by color and size range. Once diamonds are sorted, the melee is sealed in a secure package and returned, the GIA noted.

Source: Diamonds.net

GIA to Give Full Color, Clarity Grades for Lab-Grown

The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) is launching a new digital report for lab-grown diamonds that will feature specific color and clarity grades. The organization, which currently only offers loose descriptions and grade ranges for synthetics, will introduce the new reports early in the fourth quarter, it said Tuesday.

The service will incorporate the GIA’s two existing lab-grown reports. Its full reports — available for stones weighing 0.15 carats and larger — will include a 4Cs assessment and plotted diagrams showing clarity and proportions. Its lower-priced “dossiers,” which are available only for stones ranging from 0.15 to 1.99 carats, will just include the 4Cs assessment and the proportions diagram. The lab will also offer specific color and clarity grades for lab-grown colored diamonds.

The GIA began grading synthetic diamonds in 2007, and has since aligned the service more with what it offers for natural stones. Until last year, it only provided descriptions of color and clarity, such as “colorless” and “slightly included.” However, from July 1, 2019, it started indicating the range of traditional color and clarity scores to which those descriptions referred — such as “D to F” and “SI1 to SI2.”

The institute has now moved a stage further, arguing that enhanced transparency will benefit consumers and the trade.

“Natural- and laboratory-grown diamonds coexist today, accepted by both consumers and the trade,” said CEO Susan Jacques. “Ensuring consumers’ trust with GIA’s reliable, independent and authoritative grading reports for all diamonds benefits the public and the entire gem and jewelry industry. We believe the growth of laboratory-grown diamonds will expand the overall diamond market and bring in new customers.”

The reports will only be available in a digital format and will feature an updated design that distinguishes them from their natural-diamond counterparts. The California-headquartered organization will continue to laser-inscribe the stones with the words “laboratory-grown” alongside the GIA report number to further ensure differentiation from naturals. The documents will still carry a statement that the graded stone may have undergone post-growth treatment to alter its color, the GIA pointed out.

The GIA is keeping the same fee structure as for natural-diamond reports since the grading work is the same, it noted.

Source: Diamonds.net

GIA Embraces Automated Clarity Grading

The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) has teamed up with IBM Research to develop an automated system for grading the clarity of a diamond.

The artificial intelligence (AI) technology uses data from tens of millions of diamonds GIA laboratories have examined in the past, applying the institute’s existing grading standards. It’s already in limited use at the GIA’s New York and Carlsbad laboratories, the institute said Monday.

Grading laboratories have increasingly invested in AI in recent years, as it promises more accurate and consistent results. Sarine Technologies unveiled its automated color and clarity grading equipment in 2016, while the GIA has been working with IBM on the joint project for around two years.

“IBM’s AI technology, combined with GIA’s expertise, extensive data and gemological-research capabilities, enables us to deliver advancements in consistency, accuracy and speed unlike any other organization,” said Tom Moses, the GIA’s executive vice president and chief laboratory and research officer.

The program will initially include the most popular diamond sizes. The GIA aims to expand it to other sizes, shapes and qualities in the future. The GIA and IBM are planning other collaborations combining gemological evaluation with AI.

Source: Diamonds.net

GIA to Reopen New York Lab

The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) is reopening its New York grading laboratory Monday following a three-month shutdown due to the coronavirus.

“As restrictions are lifted and the global gem and jewelry industry begins to recover, we are safely reopening GIA locations, returning staff to work and preparing to engage in our mission-driven activities,” GIA CEO Susan Jacques said Thursday. “We are strictly following government regulations and guidelines, implementing new processes, and adapting our facilities to keep everyone who comes to GIA — staff, clients, students and visitors — healthy and safe.”

With the 47th Street venue back in action, all 11 of the GIA’s laboratories will have unlocked their doors. The 10 other sites are steadily increasing their hours and adding extra shifts to meet growing demand for their services, the GIA said.

Meanwhile, its gemological schools in Taipei and Hong Kong are open, and all other GIA educational centers will welcome back on-campus students “in the near future,” it said.

The organization closed most of its sites in March as the virus spread, and gradually reopened them as lockdown restrictions eased. It will continue to monitor local-government and health rules in each location and adjust its services as necessary.

Source: Diamonds.net

Five GIA Labs Resume Operations

The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) has reopened laboratories in five locations following COVID-19 shutdowns.

The organization’s labs in Johannesburg and Tokyo recommenced limited operations on May 7, the GIA said Monday. Visitors to the Johannesburg lab must make an appointment, have a permit, and wear a mask. The Tokyo location will accept and return goods by delivery only.

On May 11, the GIA resumed operations at its locations in Antwerp and in Gaborone, Botswana. While Antwerp is receiving customers by appointment only, Gaborone is open with a limited capacity to comply with government mandates and allow for proper social distancing, the GIA noted. The lab in Carlsbad, California, reopened May 18, with submission of goods only accepted by shipment.

Labs in Bangkok, Hong Kong and Ramat Gan, Israel, are all open, and are operating with regular hours. Operations in Mumbai, Surat and New York remain closed.

“Our first priority is to protect the health and safety of all staff, clients and visitors,” said Tom Moses, the GIA’s executive vice president and chief research and laboratory officer. “As we work to meet our clients’ needs whenever and wherever possible, we are planning for the safe opening of all other GIA locations as soon as conditions and government authorities permit.”

Source: Diamonds.net

Sarine Ushers In Era of In-Factory Grading

Sarine Technologies has launched a new platform enabling manufacturers to tap its automated grading systems and issue a report in-house to support the needs of jewelers.

The company this week introduced its eGrading innovation via a video campaign on YouTube claiming the concept would “change diamond grading forever.” It allows manufacturers to self-execute third-party grading of the 4Cs — cut, carat weight, color and clarity — along with other personalized parameters required by the jeweler, without having to send the diamond to a grading laboratory.

“We believe the market is moving in this direction and our technology is now mature enough to make that happen,” CEO David Block told Rapaport News in a briefing at Sarine’s innovation center in Hod Hasharon, Israel.

“The digital aspect opens up the possibility to customize the report, which is difficult for a lab to achieve,” Block explained. “Once you grade the diamond at the source, the manufacturer is now responsible for its own destiny.”

The initiative builds on Sarine’s automated grading systems, with the company first announcing its ability to automate the grading of color and clarity, and therefore all the 4Cs, in 2016. It uses artificial intelligence (AI) machine learning to assess the grading results of tens of thousands of diamonds to arrive confidently at its color and clarity decision.

Empowering the manufacturer to execute the report enables it to provide a more personalized service to the jeweler. Block believes eGrading will improve efficiency for manufacturers, since they don’t have to send the stone out to the lab, while still using third-party verification. This saves on the time, expense, and opportunity cost of not having the diamond available to sell. And the retailer benefits from being able to tap the right goods from its supplier in a shorter period.

“Diamond grading is still in the Blockbuster days, where I need to send my diamond to the lab and wait for them to finish grading. They decide what goes in first and I get the stone back with certain criteria that are generally not good enough for me as I go out and sell the diamond,” he added, explaining that lab certificates are too generic.

While the retailer might want to emphasize other parameters such as the stone’s fluorescence, or different types of inclusions, among others, Block asserts it is difficult and expensive for the labs to go into the required level of detail.

Market ready

Sarine claims its technology will provide those details as the system evolves, using the same AI machine-learning principles in other parameters as it applies for color and clarity grading.

In that sense, its eGrading program isn’t a finished product, and probably never will be, because Sarine’s systems are constantly evolving and improving, according to Block. “We’re presenting our vision for where the market is heading and we have developed the technology that we believe makes this possible,” he stressed.

The company expects to reach several new milestones in 2020 as it rolls the program out to the market, Block assured, without divulging what those might be.

He believes the industry is more than ready to embrace the cultural change the company is proposing, observing that the “the midstream is very tech-savvy.”

A means to an end

Block also recognized that others may be entering the same space. Representatives from De Beers and the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) joined Block in a panel discussion at the Dubai Diamond Conference in September by asserting that automation of diamond processes will come “sooner than you think.” Each independently stressed that they’re ready to propose a solution.

Sarine is confident it can lead the way in the diamond industry’s “tech revolution,” given that technology is its core competency. Other companies that develop technology are also focused on other areas within the diamond pipeline. Technology, he emphasized, is going to play a big part in bringing about dramatic changes in the diamond industry.

In that spirit, the objective of Sarine’s eGrading initiative is to realign the emphasis currently placed on grading reports, Block added.

“Diamond grading is not a goal in and of itself. Rather, the objective is to help price a diamond and to help source what you’re looking for,” Block said. “We’re looking at how we can improve the process to get to that goal of how to source the diamond. How people source diamonds will change. It’s natural that the industry will shift in this direction.”

Source: Diamonds.net

The invisible engraving that could see you save hundreds of dollars on wedding ring insurance

Diamond grader Roy Cohen is urging Australians to get diamond rings engraved
He argued a serial number on diamond girdle could stop illegal pawn shop sale
Insurance premiums can also be reduced for jewellery inscribed with a code

A romantic marriage proposal is a significant milestone in many people’s lives.

Engagement rings can also cost tens of thousands of dollars and are commonly stolen in home invasions.

Jewellery experts are urging engaged couples to get the girdle of the diamond engraved so they can’t as easily be pawned.

This microscopic serial number could be enough to get the ring returned, and save newlyweds potentially hundreds of dollars a year in insurance premiums.

Roy Cohen, a third-generation diamond grader originally from South Africa, said these minute inscriptions increased the chance of a stolen ring being reunited with its rightful owner.

‘It’s invisible to the naked eye, it can only be seen with magnification but it’s basically a serial number,’ he told Daily Mail Australia.

‘Usually what happens is, at any pawn shop, they will take a jeweller’s loupe and they will actually have a look at the item.

‘If there’s a certificate number on the girdle of the diamond and the diamond’s been sold without the certificate, usually that does raise alarm bells.’

Mr Cohen, the director of Diamond Certification Laboratory of Australia, said engraved serial numbers on diamonds could be checked against a database, arguing this was more effective than leaving a diamond un-engraved and relying on police detective work to find a stolen item.

‘If somebody steals a diamond ring from a house in Sydney and then goes to sell it in Melbourne, there’s no way that they’re going to get found out because there’s not a lot of co-operation between states,’ he said.

His DCLA company began inscribing diamond rings in Australia in 2001, following his move from Johannesburg to Sydney.

It has now formed a partnership with underwriter Woodina to form Certified Diamond Insurance, which only insures jewellery with an inscribed serial number.

Mr Cohen, who has three decades of experience as a diamond grader, vowed customers could save up to 50 per cent off their premiums compared to traditional home and content packages.

A diamond ring worth $10,000 can be insured for $306 a year.

Jewellery is the third most stolen item stolen from Australian homes, after cash and laptops, an analysis of official burglary figures by insurer Budget Direct found.

Source: dailymail.co.uk

GIA Suspends Diamond Sealing Services Following Tampering

GIA (Gemological Institute of America) has announced that it is suspending its diamond sealing services. The suspension is effective immediately and comes following the discovery that “a small number” of GIA sealing packets that had been compromised by third parties after the sealing packets left GIA.

The Institute said that in these cases, the original diamonds had been replaced with HPHT (high-pressure, high-temperature) treated natural diamonds.

The replacement diamonds superficially matched the GIA report information for the original diamonds, including information on the sealing packet data label.

GIA said that anyone who has concerns about a GIA-sealed diamond can submit the unopened packet to any GIA laboratory for verification services. If GIA concludes the diamond in the sealing packet is the diamond described in the original report, the Institute will issue a verification letter confirming the diamond matches the original report. If this is not the case, the Institute will issue a new report with the correct results.

The Institute will provide this verification service free-of-charge for diamonds received in a sealed packet. All sealed diamonds submitted will be returned unsealed.

Source: IDEX

GIA Unveils Plans for Labs in Surat and Antwerp

The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) will this year open a laboratory in Surat, and expand its operations in Antwerp to include diamond grading.

The GIA has secured premises for the two locations, and expects to open both in the second quarter, it said Monday.

The Surat laboratory will bring the GIA’s services — including its Melee Analysis Service for detecting synthetics — closer to companies in that important manufacturing hub, the organization noted. In Antwerp, it will introduce diamond-grading services, and increase capacity for its mine-to-market (M2M) program, which matches rough diamonds to their resulting polished, the lab said.

“Expanding our facility in Antwerp, and opening a new location in Surat, continues GIA’s mission-driven effort to bring our research-based laboratory services for diamonds, colored stones and pearls ever closer to our clients,” said Tom Moses, the GIA’s executive vice president and chief laboratory and research officer.

Clients will be able to drop off goods for every service at both the Surat and Antwerp labs, the GIA added.

Image: Valerie Power/GIA

Source: Diamonds.net