Attention, gemological laboratories, independent gemologists, members of the colored gemstone and jewelry industries and trade: The International Colored Gemstone Association (ICA) is set to renew distribution of its “ICA Lab Alerts.” The alerts are designed to provide members of the international gemological, colored gemstone, and jewelry sectors with new and important information regarding the discovery, detection, and identification of treatments and enhancements of natural gemstones, synthetic gemstones, and gemstone simulants.

ICA distributed its Lab Alerts for five years during the 1990s, but the service was discontinued. However, recent years have seen the proliferation of new technologies and processes facilitating the treatment and enhancement of gemstones as well as the creation of synthetics and simulants. In light of these developments, ICA’s executive committee and board of directors have decided to renew the ICA Lab Alert service, with the goal of preserving and strengthening the industry’s integrity and boosting consumer confidence in the products it sells.

The new ICA Lab Alert will be distributed by e-mail only by the ICA head office and/or the ICA Gem Bureau. Gemologists and other interested trade professionals who wish to be included on the ICA Lab Alert e-mail list should provide contact details to Kim Miller at ica@gemstone.org.

In addition, ICA is asking all gemological laboratories to help in this effort to disseminate important gemological information rapidly throughout the trade. The labs are asked to quickly notify ICA’s New York office of relevant developments and discoveries in gemology, particularly in regard to technologies and processes that facilitate the treatment and enhancement of gemstones as well as the creation of synthetics and simulants. Contact Kim Miller at ica@gemstone.org or fax (212) 352-9054.