The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) will spotlight its country of origin diamond reports in its consumer advertising this holiday.
The country of origin program, originally called “Mine to Market,” uses a scientific method to link a piece of polished to the rough that spawned it, in order to provide consumers with information about a diamond’s country of origin.
The reports will be featured as part of the GIA’s decade-old “Four C’s” consumer-facing advertising campaign. The new ads spotlight country of origin as a “fifth element” for consumers to look for, along with color, clarity, cut, and carat weight.
To tout the reports, GIA will boost its ad spend this holiday, with placements appearing in consumer publications including Vogue and Elle. Digital ads will target fine jewelry buyers in metro areas.
“We know from our research that diamond consumers have a growing interest in the geographic origin of the gems they purchase,” Anna Martin, senior vice president of global development, tells JCK via email. “They also want to know about the positive effect their purchases have in gem producing countries and communities.…The new reports connect consumers to the stories of the positive social and economic benefit their diamond purchase brings to diamond producing countries and communities.”
The process works like this: With the help of the miner, the GIA receives packages of rough in sealed bags accompanied by mining company documentation. The lab then collects data on the rough, including its morphology, spectroscopy, and crystal growth structure, and issues a serial number.
After the rough is cut, the cutter resubmits the polished diamonds to GIA, along with their serial number. The GIA will then examine each stone to verify that the characteristics captured from the polished match those of the rough.
The GIA believes it can make definitive verdicts on a stone’s origin in 90% of cases.
(Top: GIA’s “Four C’s” ad campaign; Image courtesy of the Gemological Institute of America)
Follow JCK on Instagram: @jckmagazine
Follow JCK on Twitter: @jckmagazine
Follow JCK on Facebook: @jckmagazine
