GIA Offers Consumers Diamond Origin Information

RAPAPORT... The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) will launch a consumer-facing service that will verify the country of origin for natural and lab-grown diamonds.The service, called GIA Source Verify, is currently in development, the institute said Monday. The organization will determine a stone's origin information using third-party-verified documents, including Kimberley Process (KP) certificates and invoices provided by diamond manufacturers and others in the supply chain. Consumers will be able to access the information through the GIA's online Report Check service.The GIA will offer Source Verify as an expansion of its Diamond Origin Report and colored-stone origin reports, it noted."The Source Verify service is an extension of our important consumer-protection mission," said GIA CEO Susan Jacques. "Now more than ever, GIA is uniquely positioned to protect consumers by giving them the vital diamond-source information they demand, and the confidence they deserve when making purchase decisions. This is the right thing to do and the right time to do it."While diamond-origin information has been an important tool for retailers to meet responsible-sourcing demands, it has taken higher priority on the consumer front since the US imposed sanctions on diamonds sourced from Russia after it invaded Ukraine in February."GIA's new service provides a transparent diamond-origin solution from an organization that consumers know and trust," explained Katherine Bodoh, CEO of the American Gem Society (AGS). "In today's environment, communicating a diamond's origin is a must for AGS members and all retailers."The GIA anticipates launching the service in the near future, it added.Image: A GIA grading certificate. (Gemological Institute of America)