Padis succeeds Lisa Bridge, marking the first time the organization has had two women board presidents in a row.
GIA bans client for alleged false inscriptions
The Gemological Institute of America is no longer grading stones from one Indian company after that company allegedly submitted multiple diamonds inscribed with report numbers for other stones.
New York--The Gemological Institute of America has cut off a client in India for allegedly submitting diamonds that had been fraudulently inscribed, a letter shared with National Jeweler reveals.
Addressed to Ramesh B. Vala of Surat, India-based Cristy Gems and signed by the GIA’s Tom Moses, the letter states that GIA “reasonably suspects” that Cristy has submitted multiple stones to the lab inscribed with report numbers for other diamonds. The inscriptions were not done by the GIA.
The letter goes on to state that these submissions have “occurred on a number of occasions, indicating a pattern of intentional conduct.” As a result, the GIA stated in the letter that it is closing Cristy Gems’ account, along with four other accounts with which it believes Cristy is associated, and will no longer be accepting any items from the company. Vala, his company and related companies also are barred from opening new accounts with the GIA.
A request for comment sent via email to the letter’s recipient went unanswered.
The GIA verified Monday that the letter to Cristy Gems did indeed come from them but declined to provide any further details on the case.
According to the letter, two of the accounts submitted their stones to the GIA via Rapaport India, a lab direct business that prepares goods and does take-in, marketing and collects payment for the GIA in India.
Ezi Rapaport said Tuesday that Rapaport India will, of course, no longer be accepting stones from these companies for submission to the GIA and that the companies also have been suspended indefinitely from RapNet, the Rapaport Group’s diamond trading network.
This report of alleged misconduct is the latest in a line regarding fraudulent submissions that are being caught by the industry’s grading labs.
Back in November, the GIA announced that it was suspending its sealing service indefinitely after receiving a sealed diamond for verification that did not match the grading report packaged with it. GIA spokesman Stephen Morriseau said Monday that the sealing service remains suspended.
The GIA also announced at that time that it would no longer issue duplicate grading reports after receiving some diamonds with duplicate reports that did not match the stone.
This past spring, the GIA cut off four clients linked to hundreds of stones submitted with a mysterious color treatment that improves their color by as much as three grades but fades over time.
Diamonds that underwent what is believed to be the same color treatment also surfaced at the International Gemological Institute’s lab in Antwerp.
IGI CEO Roland Lorie said what is known about the treatment at this time is that it is a simple coating that dissolves immediately when the diamond is thoroughly cleaned with alcohol or boiled. Even if neither of these happen the treatment still most likely will fade over time, though the lab does not yet know exactly how long organic fading takes.
What makes it difficult to make determinations about this mystery coating is the fact that by the time the lab suspects something has been done to the stone, “it’s usually too late” to make any determination about what exactly it was, Lorie added.
The Latest
Jesse Cole, founder of Fans First Entertainment, shared the “five Es” of building a fan base during his AGS Conclave keynote.
The Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar "John Mayer" was celebrated at a star-studded party in LA last week.
With Ho Brothers, you can unlock your brand's true potential and offer customers the personalized jewelry experiences they desire.
The announcement came as the company reported a 23 percent drop in production in Q1.
The three-time Pro Bowler continues to partner with the retailer, donating to a Detroit nonprofit and giving watches to fans.
A double-digit drop in the number of in-store crimes was offset by a jump in off-premises attacks, JSA’s 2023 crime report shows.
For over 30 years, JA has advocated for the industry, fought against harmful legislation and backed measures that help jewelry businesses.
Inspired by the Roman goddess of love, the designer looked to the sea for her new collection.
The luxury titan posted declining sales, weighed down by Gucci’s poor performance.
The selected nine organizations have outlined their plans for the funds.
The mining company’s Diavik Diamond Mine lost four employees in a plane crash in January.
The crown introduced a dozen timepieces in Geneva, including a heavy metal version of its deep-sea divers’ watch.
Emmanuel Raheb recommends digging into demographic data, customizing your store’s communications, and retargeting ahead of May 12.
Located in the town of Queensbury, it features a dedicated bridal section and a Gabriel & Co. store-in-store.
A 203-carat diamond from the alluvial mine in Angola achieved the highest price.
The “Rebel Heart” campaign embodies rebellion, romance, and sensuality, the brand said.
Editor-in-Chief Michelle Graff shares the standout moments from the education sessions she attended in Austin last week.
The overhaul includes a new logo and enhanced digital marketplace.
The money will go toward supporting ongoing research and aftercare programs for childhood cancer survivors.
A new addition to the “Heirloom” collection, this one-of-a-kind piece features 32 custom-cut gemstones.
Last month in Dallas, David Walton pushed another jeweler, David Ettinger, who later died.
The move will allow the manufacturing company to offer a more “diverse and comprehensive” range of products.
De Beers’ rough diamond sales were down 18 percent year-over-year in its latest round of sales.
Sponsored by the Las Vegas Antique Jewelry & Watch Show
The Patek Philippe expert will serve as personal curator for the brand-focused company.
The 553-square-foot shop is aboard the Carnival Jubilee cruise ship.