GIA Faces Criticism over Paperless Reports
April 05, 23
(IDEX Online) - The GIA is facing criticism over the new digital-only reports it introduced in January.
Dealers say retail customers still expect a paper certificate and are, in some cases, refusing to buy a diamond without one.
The GIA (Gemological Institute of America) says its paperless Diamond Dossiers, for stones up to 1.99-cts, are the first step towards phasing out all printed reports with three years, saving tons of paper and plastic.
But the move has not been popular with some retailers and consumers.
Bruno Pozzera, of Diamants Infos, in France, said: "Some customers didn't buy a GIA loose diamond when they were told they wouldn't have a printed certificate. It's definitively a bad idea to go 100 per cent digital.
"My French customers feel like the GIA doesn't care about them. The GIA website doesn't have multilingual pages explaining why they no longer print certificates, everything is in English. And the GIA website for checking and downloading certificates is not translated into French."
Niels van Amstel, of Van Amstel Diamond, in Amsterdam, said: "People buying a diamond as a gift want to have a certificate to showcase its natural and of high quality.
"It becomes harder to sell without a cert, since people expect there should be one, and it takes more time and energy to explain to customer that there is no paper cert available."
The GIA says it has received feedback and is looking for ways to address the concerns raised.
In a statement it said: "We have heard from GIA clients - manufacturers, brokers, wholesalers, brands and retailers - about their concerns regarding the digital-only GIA Diamond Dossier reports and how integrating the digital-only report into their processes could disrupt their businesses.
"We appreciate their constructive feedback and are considering how we can best address those concerns within the context of our mission to protect consumers and ensure their trust in gems and jewelry."
Digital GIA Diamond Dossier reports are available on the GIA App for Android and iOS devices on GIA's online Report Check portal and through the Institute's application programming interface.
GIA President and CEO Susan Jacques, announcing the launch of paperless reports last year, said: "Switching to digital reports will reduce the environmental impact of our operations, which is part of our strategy to ensure GIA will continue our mission to protect consumers and promote their trust for decades to come."