DMIA Says Many Industry Groups to Take Part in NYC Meeting

(IDEX Online News) – A range of diamond and jewelry industry organizations will take part in a meeting organized by the Diamond Manufacturers & Importers Association of America (DMIA) following an urgent call by the body earlier this month to host an industry-wide meeting in New York City about measures to prevent synthetic diamonds being presented as natural diamonds.

The meeting will be held under the banner of the DMIA, the Diamond Dealers Club of New York (DDC), the Indian Diamond and Color Stone Association (IDCA), and the Natural Color Diamond Association (NCDIA), said DMIA President Ronnie VanderLinden.

"We have already engaged law enforcement agencies and have received confirmations from national organizations such as Jewelers of America (JA), the American Gem Society (AGS), the Manufacturing Jewelers & Suppliers of America (MJSA) and the Jewelers Vigilance Committee (JVC),” said VanderLinden.

“Also, three major gem labs that service our industry are on board: the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), the International Gemological Institute (IGI) and the European Gemological Laboratory (EGL USA.) We are confident that this meeting will result in strong measures that will have real teeth," he added.

"We noted earlier that one of the major obstacles in attacking this issue was the lack of cohesion from industry stakeholders. Witnessed by the strong response from our partners we are building that cohesion.

“We strive for a single-minded and enforceable joint resolution to halt synthetics being mixed into parcels of natural diamonds by repeat offenders. Those who defraud the industry will pay a heavy price," he said.