Media Alert: GIA Responds to Counterfeit Grading Report

CARLSBAD, Calf. – Feb. 3, 2010 – The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) is responding to the discovery of a counterfeit GIA report in Hong Kong that has been traced back to Antwerp. The bogus document, which resembles an authentic GIA report, was taken out of circulation and is in the Institute’s possession.

GIA takes these violations very seriously and is actively engaged with law enforcement agencies worldwide to help prevent, detect and prosecute these illegal activities. GIA is diligently working behind the scenes to obtain more information concerning this report and its origin.

GIA maintains the highest standards of precision and accuracy in producing its reports, including a number of important security features and safeguards, some apparent and others more subtle. A close examination of the document in question proved it was a counterfeit when it was compared to an authentic GIA report. It was clear that the font, color, and background used in the blue shaded area did not match, among other discrepancies.

Report Check, described below, is the most effective way for the industry or public to identify counterfeit reports. In this case, the report number did not correspond to the stone that accompanied it (although it is an actual report number for a different stone). Care must still be taken, even with a Report Check “match.” In the instance referenced above, it appears that a diamond of lower quality was cut to match the original GIA information. A review of the diamond’s measurements, color and clarity clearly showed that the diamond did not match the GIA report.

GIA Report Check is a free online service clients can use to enter the diamond’s report number and carat weight to receive all of the grading information, including a cut grade when available, that was issued for that diamond. Report Check is available for only those diamonds graded from Jan. 1, 2000 to the present. To access Report Check, go to www.gia.edu/reportcheck/.

The GIA Report Verification Service can also be used to confirm the authenticity of a GIA Diamond Grading Report and Diamond Dossier®, or the information it contains, by simply requesting a Verification Service from GIA. You can submit your diamond, along with its original report, and the diamond will be re-assessed and the results of the new analysis, along with the diamond and its original report, returned to you. Alternatively, the original grading report can also be updated for a reduced fee, meaning that the diamond is submitted to the laboratory and is fully graded again, including all of the screening steps for treatments and a new report is issued (the original report is retained by GIA).

GIA regularly invests in and conducts its own investigations to seek out and prevent fraudulent activities. This has led to the successful prosecution of individuals who have violated the integrity of GIA reports.

Anyone with information is encouraged to bring it to the Institute’s attention.

Please contact GIA Laboratory Customer Service with any questions or concerns at 760-603-4500, ext. 7590 in California, or 212-221-5858, ext. 3725 in New York; or e-mail labservice@gia.edu.