By Amanda J. Luke

GIA will mark its 75th Anniversary Diamond Jubilee in 2006 with a collection of one-carat loose proprietary and branded diamond cuts that will be created to inspire public interest in the variety of available cuts. Glenn Rothman, CEO of Hearts On Fire, will chair the drive to secure donations.

Several of GIA’s League of Honor and Board of Governor members have already committed diamonds to the collection and have agreed to serve as vice chairs. They include Lowell and Sheldon Kwiat of Kwiat Inc., Leo Schachter, Eric Austein and Elliot Tannenbaum of Leo Schachter & Co. Inc., Marvin Samuels of Premier Gem Corp., Dilip Mehta of Rosy Blue N.V., Toros Z. and Toros Kejejian of Tycoon Cut Diamonds, Saul Goldberg of William Goldberg Diamond Corporation, and Mary Forté of Zale Corporation.

Rothman has also pledged his branded diamonds, a Hearts On Fire® and a Dream® cut. The first 75 diamonds donated to the collection will premiere in conjunction with the Institute’s 4th International Gemological Symposium Aug. 27-29, 2006, and will later be displayed at worldwide GIA locations and available for loan.

“GIA provides the industry with leadership from a noncompetitive environment, as well as education for the trade,” Rothman said. “We would like the entire industry to participate and showcase their innovations. What better place to highlight your creativity in diamond cutting than through GIA’s 75th Anniversary Collection?”

Patricia Syvrud, GIA director of In-Kind Gifts, said the collection also complements the Institute’s decades-long research, which has shown that there is more than one way to cut a beautiful diamond.

“By celebrating GIA’s Diamond Jubilee Anniversary through this special collection, we hope to stimulate a high interest in diamonds and diamond cuts,” Syvrud said. “This collection will be a virtual archive of the changes in cut for the diamond industry.”

There are a growing number of branded and proprietary cut diamonds in the market, Syvrud added. Manufacturers are invited to contribute to this collection to preserve their place in the history of diamond cut.

“We are thrilled with the opportunity to create the 75th Anniversary Collection of proprietary cut and branded diamonds,” Syvrud said. “We welcome all diamond manufacturers and marketers to participate in this important effort.”

For information on how to include your diamond in GIA’s 75th Anniversary Collection, contact Patricia Syvrud, director, In-Kind Gifts, at (760) 603-4432 or e-mail: patricia.syvrud@gia.edu or her assistant Kim Vagner at (760) 603-4150 or e-mail: kimberly.vagner@gia.edu.