11-6-2021
The International Gemological Institute (IGI) received the largest lab-grown diamond ever, came with a Gemological Institute of America (GIA) certificate stating it was a natural D colour flawless diamond and a fake GIA laser number.
The submission to its Thailand site was a 6.18-carat round brilliant-cut loose stone for verification purposes. The lab-grown diamond had been cut with “meticulous precision” to match the data on the GIA certificate and lased with a number corresponding to the report. In short, the genuine stone had been fraudulently replaced.
IGI Thailand and Hong Kong Managing Director Bob Van Es said: “At IGI, we have seen a huge increase in double verification demand, which means before going for a major purchase, consumers like to receive confirmation that the stone matches the original report.” “A second opinion ensures the integrity of diamonds through detailed analysis, which is an extra, necessary buffer that protects consumers from purchasing misrepresented gemstones,” said IGI CEO Roland Lorie.
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