A new service through the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) aims to help jewelry business owners and consumers looking to source their diamond before making a purchase, creating a verifiable point of origin for the stone.

In a statement issued Monday, the GIA said it is “expediting the development and deployment of GIA Source Verify,” a service that it said will provide “reliable diamond origin information” to retailers and their customers.

The new service is “still in development,” according to the statement. The GIA did not provide additional information or respond to a request for comment before publication. In the statement, the GIA noted it “anticipates launching the service in the near future.”

There is a demand for a service like GIA Source Verify, the California-based GIA said in its statement. Consumers want “real-time, unbiased diamond source information,” and that is why the company that offers gemological research, education, and science-based gem identification and grading services is moving forward with this,” the statement said.

The new service will allow stores and their clients to verify which country a natural diamond came from and where a lab-grown diamond was produced, according to the statement. The GIA will “leverage existing processes based on third-party verified documents, including Kimberley Process certificates and invoices provided by diamond manufacturers and others in the supply chain.”

The GIA will offer this service at no additional cost, and users can access the source information via its online Report Check service.

On the Source Verify website, the GIA introduces the service by noting, “A diamond’s origin should be crystal clear” and “Know where your diamond comes from.”

“The Source Verify service is an extension of our important consumer-protection mission,” GIA president and CEO Susan Jacques said in the same statement. “Now more than ever, GIA is uniquely positioned to protect consumers by giving them the vital diamond source information they demand and the confidence they deserve when making purchase decisions. This is the right thing to do and the right time to do it.”

“GIA’s new service provides a transparent diamond origin solution from an organization that consumers know and trust,” Katherine Bodoh, CEO of the American Gem Society (AGS) said in the statement. “In today’s environment, communicating a diamond’s origin is a must for AGS members and all retailers.”

GIA also said that it will continue to offer its Diamond Origin and Colored Stone Identification reports.

Top: GIA grading lab (photo courtesy of GIA)

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