GIA India Lab Launches Free Pick-Up Service to Mumbai Diamantaires

The GIA India Laboratory in Mumbai has begun offering free pick-up and delivery services to and from the Opera House in Mumbai. The service is operated by Malca-Amit, B.V.C. Group and Rapaport Shipping Service, which will collect sealed boxes of goods from clients' offices, deliver the boxes to GIA's Banda Kurla location for servicing and return them after grading.

GIA India is currently limiting intake to 75 diamonds per day per client for grading services. Diamonds from 0.15 carats to 1.99 carats are graded locally, while diamonds larger than 1.99 carats, diamond submissions that exceed GIA India's local capacity or diamonds submitted for services other than Diamond Grading or Diamond Dossier are forwarded to the U.S. laboratory for servicing. 

In related news, GIA India Laboratory Managing Director Nirupa Bhatt has been appointed chairperson of the Sub-Committee for Quality and Standardisation, FICCI Gem and Jewellery Committee.

The primary objective of this committee is to promote use of technology in manufacturing and production to modernize and upgrade current practices, a release announcing the appointment stated.

"India has the potential to be the global manufacturing hub for cutting and polishing of diamond and gemstones as well as jewelry manufacturing," Bhatt commented.

"However, in order to achieve this it is imperative for the companies to be able to be recognized for consistency in quality. This is only possible if companies have documental systems and processes in place. Standards and technology together can become the enabler for achieving this," she concluded.