GIA Responds to Counterfeit Grading Report

The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) reported that a counterfeit GIA report found in Hong Kong has been tracked back to Antwerp, the institute revealed on Wednesday. GIA said it is diligently working behind the scenes to gather more information about the report and its origin.

“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,” GIA stated.

The lab warned that it is “actively engaged with law enforcement agencies worldwide” to prevent, detect and prosecute such illegal activities.

In a step to ensure authenticity, it said that Report Check is the most effective way to identify counterfeit reports.

The counterfeit report number did not correspond to the stone that accompanied it, although it is an actual report number for a different stone. “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,” the GIA stated.

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.

GIA asked that 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 email labservice@gia.edu.