The Steinmetz Group of Companies has been named the premier sponsor of the Gemological Institute of America’s fourth International Gemological Symposium. The event, which will also commemorate the Institute’s 75th (diamond) anniversary, is expected to bring upwards of 1,500 industry leaders to San Diego, Calif.

The Steinmetz Group’s $250,000 contribution will also support the event’s “Diamond Gala” opening night celebration, an evening of socializing, museum exhibits, celebrities, and top-rate entertainment at GIA’s world headquarters in Carlsbad Sunday, Aug. 27, 2006.

“There are a lot of things that appeal to us about GIA’s Symposium,” said Steinmetz CEO Nir Livnat. “I think this special gathering of the industry – not just the diamond industry, but also the colored stone, pearl, retail and manufacturing sectors – puts us in front of a wide variety of people. We usually don’t get that kind of opportunity.”

GIA’s International Gemological Symposium, previously held in 1982, 1991, and 1999, will be held Aug. 27–29, 2006, at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego.

JCK