GIA Plans to Open a Lab in Japan

The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) plans to establish a laboratory in Japan in 2012, a decision that was reached following lengthy consultations with various Japanese stakeholders. In addition, a GIA facility in Israel is scheduled to open in 2012. Both initiatives will benefit the Institute’s ongoing efforts to expand lab capacity.

''We are excited to develop a presence in Japan,'' said Donna Baker, the president of GIA. ''Japan, along with India and China, are the world’s leading diamond markets, behind the U.S.

''GIA’s mission is to promote the public trust in gems and jewelry and, as such, we will do everything within our means to carry forth this mission in Japan and to assist the Japanese diamond community in furthering these goals,'' Baker said.

-Rapaport

GIA 2012 Education Catalog Now Available

The 2012 education catalog for the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) is now available online and in print. The catalog, entitled “Reach Across the World,” features in-depth descriptions of the GIA's online gemology curriculum, lab classes and on-campus programs throughout the world.

The catalog emphasizes the global scope of the industry with a variety of domestic and international schedules for gemology, design and jewelry manufacturing. It also includes specifics on how to enroll, updated 2012 tuition and fees, and information about scholarships and financial assistance.

Additional catalog features include:

· Details about the GIA Graduate Gemologist, Graduate Diamonds, Graduate Colored Stones, Graduate Pearls and Accredited Jewelry Professional Diploma programs

· Insights on the Graduate Jeweler and Applied Jewelry Arts Diploma programs, and the CAD/CAM for Jewelry and Jewelry Design Certificates

· A guide to GIA eLearning, a media-rich learning experience delivered completely online via integrated text, videos, slide shows, animation and audio

· Descriptions of lab classes held at worldwide GIA campuses that provide training in grading, gem identification and jewelry manufacturing

GIA’s 2012 education catalog reflects the Institute’s mission to serve a wide range of students, including newcomers to the gem and jewelry industry and seasoned professionals who want to expand and fine-tune their skills.

-Rapaport

INDIAN INSTITUTE OF GEMS & JEWELLERY SIGNS MOU WITH GIA

The Indian Institute of Gems & Jewellery(IIGJ) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) allowing the GIA to hold courses at IIGJ’s Indian campuses.

Currently, the IIGJ has campuses in Mumbai, Delhi, and Jaipur, and plans to open additional ones in Kolkata and Chennai.

Nirupa Bhatt, Managing Director of the GIA India & Middle East said that the GIA was proud of the collaboration. “This agreement will help us reach small and large manufacturers and jewelers across India by bringing GIA education right to their doorsteps.”

The IIGJ is a project of India’s Gems and Jewellery Export Promotion Council.

DIAMOND INDUSTRY LEADERS DISCUSS FAMOUS DIAMONDS

Diamonds were the talk of the Tower of London at a private dinner held last week to mark the start of a three-day summit where, for the very first time, global diamond authorities including Rio Tinto's Tom Albanese, Cartier's Arnaud Bamberger, Christies' Jewellery specialists David Warren and Raymond Sancroft-Baker and senior figures from the Gemological Institute of America, De Beers, and the major auction houses came together as a specialist council to spearhead the search to discover as-yet undocumented rare diamonds and ensure they are showcased to an international audience.

The talks were hosted by Robert Procop, a former Crown Jeweller and leading international authority on diamonds and gemstones, to mark his recent succession from Lord Balfour as Editor-in-Chief of Famous Diamonds.

Procop commented: "For the first time, we have a team of the world's leading diamond experts - people who have mined, cut, classified, bought and sold these gemstones - joining me to embark on a quest to identify Famous Diamonds. I am delighted to say that we already have several exciting new additions which will be published in the next edition in 2012."

With over 100 diamonds in the world at 100 carats or more, the criteria for Famous Diamonds must necessarily extend beyond size to focus on the rare qualities and historical provenance of these extraordinary gemstones.

-The Israeli Diamond Industry

GIA Expert to Provide Diamond Seminar in Shanghai

The Gemological Institute of America’s (GIA) director of research and development, Dr. Wuyi Wang, will provide a free seminar for the trade on diamond treatments and synthetics on November 22 at Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

Wang has more than 20 years of expertise in diamond geochemistry and treatments of diamond and other gem material. He has a doctorate in geology from the University of Tsukuba in Japan and a bachelor’s degree in geology from Beijing University in China. He is widely published in gemological and geological publications, including GIA’s Gems & Gemology (G&G); the Journal of Gemmology; and American Mineralogist, Earth and Planetary Science Letters.

His presentation will cover:
--Major diamond color treatment techniques, including irradiation with or without annealing, High-Pressure High-Temperature (HPHT) treatment and multiple-method treatments
--The main analytical techniques and identification features to differentiate natural counterparts
--An update on synthetic gemstones and diamonds, including Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) and HPHT synthetics

Wang will also present private similar seminars to Shanghai Diamond Exchange members and the faculty and staff at the Tongji University. Wang has been recognized with numerous honors, including the Richard T. Liddicoat and American Gem Society Awards, as well as the Dr. Edward J. Gubelin Most Valuable Article Award from G&G.

-Rapaport

GIA Produces '4Cs of Diamond Quality' Brochure in Arabic, Hebrew, Turkish

The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) announced that its “4Cs of Diamond Quality” brochure is now available in Arabic, Hebrew and Turkish. The GIA 4Cs brochure is designed to help consumers better understand how diamonds are evaluated and explains the main factors used to describe diamond quality and depicts the GIA grading scales for color, clarity and cut.

4Cs of Diamond Quality is available in the following 19 languages:

Arabic
Bahasa
Chinese – Simple
Chinese – Traditional
English
French
German
Hebrew
India - English
India – Gujarati
India – Hindi
Italian
Japanese
Korean
Russian
Spanish
Thai
Turkish
Vietnamese

The first 100 brochures in any one language are free; additional copies may be purchased in bundles of 100 for $12.50 plus shipping, handling and applicable sales tax. The brochure can also be downloaded at no cost in a file format suitable for printing.

-Rapaport