News & Events

Our beloved Chairman, Emeritus
Shri Kirtilal K. Doshi is no more

12-10-1922 – 20-11-2023

Mr. Kirtilal K. Doshi, Founding Chairman of the Gemmological Institute of India (GII) and Chairman Emeritus, and a doyen in  Gemmology who had a fruitful and purposeful life is no more. Shri Doshi,   son of Late Smt Diwaliben and Late Shri Kalidasbhai S. Doshi, was born on 12th October 1922 and  passed away peacefully in Mumbai on 20th November, 2023 at the age of 101 years. He has been a visionary of the Indian gem and jewellery (G&J) industry and a leader of par excellence who dreamt great about G&J industry and contributed immensely for its growth in India. It is very difficult to include all his achievements in an article like this and therefore this  effort is to include some of his contributions only and thus it is a bit GII centric.

As a child and as a young adult, he had been an avid reader and a scholar throughout his academic career. He graduated with Honors in Economics from the Elphinstone College, but discontinued his studies in 1942 to join India’s freedom struggle.

Soon after he joined his family business of gems, which at that time represented Valensa & Co. of Antwerp. In the late 1950’s and early 60’s, the Government of India sought his assistance in framing the import export policy for gemstones. Kirtilalbhai Doshi was instrumental in the formation of the Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) in 1963 and played a key role in the preparation of the constitution of the GJEPC as well as the Bharat Diamond Bourse. He was elected as the Chairman of GJEPC in 1971 and it is well recorded that he has contributed immensely to its growth.

Mr. Doshi was a respected and admired personality in the global gem community. He was known for his passion, integrity, innovation and foresight. He was honored with several awards and recognitions, and to name a few :  Lifetime Achievement Award by the GJEPC in 2012 and the Chairman Emeritus of GII and Shrenuj & Co.. Kirtilalbhai was a voracious reader and built a library of his own comprising over 2,000 books which he donated to various libraries across the country during his lifetime.

Kirtilalbhai  was a man on a mission, and had a far sighted vision. He along with other visionaries like Late Shri Rajendrabhai Shah, Late Shri Himmatbhai Jhaveri, Late Shri Padmakantbhai Jhaveri and Late Shri Pravinbhai M. Nanavati met in 1965 and started the Gem and Jewelry Exporters Association. Their  vision also resulted in establishing the Gemmological Institute of India in 1971, with  himself as the Chairman  and Shri Rajendrabhai as the Managing Trustee. They nurtured and guided the progress of GII. Under their tutelage, GII took up the mighty task of overcoming the traditionally restricted Indian markets and educate, enable and empower its students to accept a scientific approach to the working in the gemstones industry using the latest globally accepted best practices. They were keen to inculcate values, demonstrate with skills and support with R&D with an aim of obtaining “true values” that made GII a well recognised institute for testing gemstones and diamonds, developing the human resources to G&J industry and carry out R&D which is on par with global standards. They visualized the need for using the best equipment and matching expertise. From its humble beginnings, GII grew in its strength and today boasts of all the latest gemstone instruments in the world and the best faculty and resources who have found success in the Indian gem industry.

When he was felicitated on 14th June 2019, he was reluctant to accept. But his love to G&J industry made him to accept the same. In his thanks giving speech, he expressed his unbridled love and affection for  GII, of which a few lines are incorporated here. “…………….. We realized that research and education in gemology was the most instrumental factor in creating a world-leading industry. This belief led to the creation of GII in 1971 and it is this fundamental belief that has kept us engaged in this 43 years long journey. We have nurtured GII with due care and respect. We have seen generations of students benefit from it and strengthen the Indian gem industry. GII is as close to my heart as is my family.

 ——– when I learnt about this event, I paused for a moment to reflect on where we have reached. For me, working for GII has been a duty that I have cherished and felt honoured about. The objectives of this wonderful institution have been so noble that one can never get tired out of giving his best effort. GII has always been a team effort ————–.What we have achieved is not for me to mention but what we have created is something to be proud of.——- We may not be flashy or flamboyant but we have a solid foundation. We may not be commercial in our objectives, but we are most fair to our stakeholders. We may set ourselves a more challenging vision or higher goals, but our values are so well deep rooted that we will never fall when we leap higher.  It is these qualities that I leave as my legacy for the next generation.

 ———What I have done for GII was to the best of my ability. What lies ahead is an enormous opportunity to take to the world. The new generation of business leaders in the gem and jewellery industry are dynamic and knowledgeable. They think beyond boundaries and have access to global resources. This is the time to take a giant leap and position GII at the helm. It has been my dream and your destiny that GII enjoys the zenith it deserves. I am sure that I will see this happen during my lifetime.——“

On behalf of Board of Trustees and GII employees, we pray to Almighty to provide this great man’s soul moksha.

Compiled by Dr. A.V.R. Reddy, CEO, GII


Advances in Gem & Diamond Research and Technology AGDRT – 2023

During October 3-4, 2023 in Convention Hall BDB, Organised by GII and sponsored by BDB

AGDRT-2023 symposium programme started by rendering the National Anthem. The symposium was inaugurated by Shri Anoop Mehta, Chairman, GII and President, BDB. Shri Shyam Jagannathan, IAS, DG Shipping and Shri R.K. Mishra, IRS, Addl. DGFT and DC, SEEPZ were the guests of honour, and Prof. MS Ramchandra Rao, IITM, Chennai was the key-note speaker. Symposium proceedings started with lighting of the lamp by dignitaries. Dr. Reddy, Secretary, Organising Committee and CEO, GII set the context of the symposium by explaining the technical programme and urged the delegates and particularly young attendees to be scientifically alert and relevant, and take advantage of presence of the experts to interact. Abstract book was released by Prof. MS Ramchandra Rao.

Shri Anoopbhai Mehta was extremely pleased to be associated with AGDRT-2023 and welcomed delegates from India and abroad. He highlighted the need for modern technology and research in the domain of gemstones and diamonds. He was happy that a common forum for entrepreneurs, experts, academics and researchers for communication was provided in the form of AGDRT-2023. He appreciated the reputed honourable guests for taking out time to share their views in the AGDRT-2023. He declared the symposium open and wished grand success to the event. Shri Mehul Shah, Vice President, BDB in his remarks appreciated GII and BDB personnel for tremendous efforts to make this event to happen and commended guests of honour and key-note speaker for prioritizing to attend AGDRT-2023.

Shri R.K. Mishra, shared his vast experience in dealing with various situations encompassing financials to management, and urged the audience to inculcate “Dare to dream, Dare to fight and Dare to win” attitude. He told that this is not only applicable to the youth present here but also to the entire Nation. He told that innovations in any form is useful citing as an example the importance of packaging in every walk of life including diamond industry. He urged the gemstone community to have a resonating vision for the future of the industry. Shri Shyam Jagannathan described the

historical progressive developments in the arena of gems and jewellery. He brought forward the example of how discovery of inclusions changed the course of gemstone history. He has explained the importance of determining elements present in trace levels using advanced techniques like LC-ICP-MS. He was happy that GII has setup a counter at SEEPZ to serve G&J industry.

Prof. Rao in his key note address shared his expertise of more than four decades in diamond and diamond related research that was extended to Lab Grown Diamonds and various applications. He briefly shared his group’s research expansion. His talk

encompassed HPHT and CVD facilities, applications of diamonds to various areas like quantum computing, semi and super conductivity and optical communications. Exploitation of NV centres, tuning of impurities for various applications, advantages of special properties of biocompatibility and radiation resistance of diamonds are some of the aspects that his group is working on. One of the major applications that attracted delegates was purification of water using diamond coated electrodes. He highlighted his Department’s continuous contributions to space programmes and inspired the audience to take up basic and applied research for improving the Nation’s quality of life. His talk was an apt example for fusion of scientific temperament and entrepreneurship skills.

On behalf of AGDRT-2023, Shri Anupbhai Zaveri, Managing Trustee, GII felicitated Guests of honour and the Key-note speaker. He then proposed vote of thanks to one and all.

On the second day during first session, Shri CPS Chauhan, IRS, JDC, SEEPZ, SEZ, Mumbai participated in

AGDRT-2023. He as an old Trainee of GII, felt happy to be part of AGDRT-2023. As he is not new to G&J industry as well as GII, he was immensely pleased with the Technical Content of the Symposium. He shared that GII was founded by Trade and stalwarts of G&J continue to guide GII. Shri Chauhan told that GII came forward to open a GII counter to test LGDs demonstrating their service to G&J Trade and are doing well. He wished that Government would consider funding to institutes like GII or IITs with reasonable funds to develop best equipment in India for India.

There were 14 talks by experts and 13 contributed papers by young researchers encompassing various R&D aspects of diamonds and gemstones. Besides there were 3 panel sessions on various topics relevant to G&J industry and trade. These were divided into 7 technical sessions and the symposium was attended by about 180 delegates during 3rd and 4th October, 2023. All the presentations were well received by the delegates and interactions between the delegates and experts have been very good meeting the purpose of arranging the symposium.


GII IS ORGANISING A SYMPOSUM ON ADVANCES IN GEM & DIAMOND RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY - 2023 (AGDRT-2023)

DURING 3RD AND 4TH OCTOBER, IN CONVENTION HALL, BDB, BKC.

Internationally renowned experts have consented to deliver scientific papers and deliver talks.Whereas trade experts agreed to participate in 3 panels.
Brochure of AGDRT – 2023 is attached.
DRAFT Technical programme will be uploaded in 2 days

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GII presented R&D work in two International Conferences during July 2023.

1) 7th International Conference on Luminescence and Applications (ICLA-2023) was held during July 3-6, 2023 in CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (CSIR –  IICT), Hyderabad. About 250 delegates attended the conference. Technical content consisted of a large number of invited talks, oral presentations and Poster Presentations and covered various aspects of Luminescence and its applications.

Dr. V.V. Jaiswal, R&D, GII has presented our results on “The effect of heat on SiVintensity in CVD diamonds”. PL measurements in this work were carried out using Confocal Raman Microscope. Our work was well received and appreciated. Dr. Jaiswal, by attending ICLA 2023 has got an opportunity to interact with various experts and peers.

2 ) 73rd Diamond Conference was held in University of Warwick, Coventry, UK during  10-13 July, 2023. It is an annual international community meeting on Diamond Spectroscopy and its applications. About 180 delegates attended the meeting. Technical content consisted of three plenary talks, 33 oral presentations and 38 poster presentations. Our work on developing a methodology to determine the colour grades of Type Ia diamonds was  presented by Dr. A.V.R Reddy. To develop the methodology, GII investigated about 400 Diamonds and measurements were carried out using IR, Visible and Raman spectroscopy. Based on this work, a methodology was proposed by us to determine the colour grade of diamonds. Participants, particularly seniors appreciated the work and methodology.   However, this methodology needs to be tested by measuring UV-vis absorption spectra of a large number of diamonds. Discussions throughout the meeting have been intense and focused.


Board of Trustees & Employees of
Gemmological Institute of India
congratulate its Chairman,

Shri Anoopbhai Mehta on his receiving
Lifetime achievement award

by GJEPC 49th IGJ Awards, 2023

Anoopbhai spoke in his brief thanks giving address

“— it is due to collective contributions of Members of BDB, G&J trade,—-”

01
02

Award is presented by Honourable

Shri Piyush Goyal,

Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution and Textiles Minister, Govt. of India

About Shri Anoopbhai Mehta: He needs no introduction. Shri Anoopbhai Mehta, President, BDB and Chairman, GII is a highly respected diamantaire, has contributed tremendously to the development of the diamond industry for more than 40 years. Born into a family of diamantaires, he joined the family business when he was still in his teens.    Today, Anoopbhai is a partner at Mohanlal Raichard & Sons, chairman and managing director of Mohit Group. Under Mehta’s leadership, BDB is working towards promoting India as a leading diamond trading hub and his contributions to G & J trade are well recorded.  GII is lucky that he accepted to be chairman of GII at critical juncture. Welcome Anoopbhai.

He is sought after personality and member of  many bodies : an executive committee member of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses and has been associated with the Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council for several years. He also serves on the committee of the Diamond Exporters Association Ltd (DEAL).


GII celebrates its 52nd Anniversary

Gemmological Institute of India, GII has completed its 52nd year on 12th April, 2023. It was celebrated on Saturday, 15 April, 2023 in the Convention hall, Bharat Diamond Bourse, BKC. All the trustees, important trade personalities of G&J industry, visiting faculty members of GII and GII employees attended.

 

 

Chairman urged: “— all the employees to raise the standard of training so that GII will be in forefront in testing, training and R&D among global peers.”

Shri Anoopbhai Mehta, Chairman, GII and President, BDB chaired the function and the function started after rendering National Anthem. Dr. AVR Reddy, CEO GII narrated the genesis of GII which was conceived in a meeting that was held in 1965 by five visionaries, Kirtibhai Doshi, Pravinbhai Nanavati, Padmakantbhai Jhaveri, Himmatbhai Jhaveri & Rajendrabhai A. Shah. It took another 6 years to start GII as a nonprofit making trust body. GII wished to celebrate Golden Jubilee two years back but could not, due to COVID-19 that has globally affected every walk of life. That has also taught GII “survival lessons.” Financially GII was in a peril, nearly sunk. Due to hard work of GII colleagues, GII not only survived but got a name as “GII is an institute that will work in adverse conditions also,” started earning and today GII has recovered financially.

Chairman, Shri Anoopbhai addressing the gathering. On the dias from L to R : Shri Anupbhai Zaveri, Shri Vipulbhai Shah, Shri Nitinbhai Pachchigar and Dr. AVR Reddy.

In his address Shri Anoopbhai appreciated the efforts of employees for the demonstration of self-reliance during the demanding conditions of COVID 19. He also recollected the vision of the founder fathers of the trust and collective efforts of employees. Specifically he thanked GJEA for initially nurturing the GII and also thanked GJEPC for supporting later for about two decades. He told that BDB has provided office space to GII for operating Kiosk as well as carrying out Diamond related research. In this connection he specifically thanked Shri Bakulbhai, Former Chairman, GII,  for guiding GII to fabricate a machine that could differentiate between Synthetic and Natural Diamonds. He assured all the employees full support and wished good luck.

Shri Nitinbhai, Trustee, being a link between founding fathers and today’s trustees, was happy that GII completed 52 years of reliable service to trade despite facing some ups and downs. He informed that GII Scientists could identify treatment in Sapphires, resin filling in Emeralds and quality R&D of international standards. He wished the best to GII and would like to see completion of 75 years and more.

Shri Vipulbhai Shah, Chairman, GJEPC complimented GII for completing 52 years of glorious existance. He informed that GJEPC has been at the forefront to cooperate with GII for furthering service to G&J Trade. He is confident that GII will do better in the years to come to fulfill the dreams and vision of legendary forefathers.

 

 

 

Shri Anupbhai Zaveri, Managing trustee, GII elaborated efforts of founding fathers in nurturing its growth. Successive Boards of Trustees and team of Gemmologists, Graders & Scientists ensured the quality of testing services and prompt delivery of certificates. He stated that GII is working to expand its activities nationally & internationally. He assured that Board of Trustees and G&J Trade, will support GII with all possible guidance and cooperation that will be forthcoming.

Shri Mehulbhai and CEO designed commemoration coin and released it during the function. ShriMilind Varhadpande read the names and, Chairman and other dignitaries distributed coins to employees, visiting faculty members, Trustees and special guests. Shri Sandesh Mane coordinated organization of the function with BDB. Meeting ended with a vote of thanks by Mrs. Silvia Sequeira.

A view of the Audience.


Gemmological Institute of India [GII]
Organises the 41st Convocation Ceremony

Shri Shyam Jagannathan, IAS, Zonal Development Commissioner delivered the convocation address during the 41st Convocation organized by Gemmological Institute of India held in Mumbai on 3rd December 2022. Shri Ramniklalbhai Shah, Partner and Founder of M/s. Venus Jewel was the Guest of Honor.

Gemmological Institute of India (GII) is a well known entity in the field of imparting educational programs pertaining to the Diamond, Color gemstone and Jewellery sector. Besides being a reliable Gem testing institute GII also houses a state of the art Research and Development wing that is unmatched in the Industry. GII has been imparting Training and Development in the Industry since 1971. Over five decades GII has trained large number of students in gemology and grading, who, equipped with the GII certificate have been instrumental in the growth and evolution of the sector. Cutting edge courses and training programs of GII covers a vast module such as fundamental aspect of gems and diamonds, mining to marketing, characterization and use of advanced instruments and techniques. Practical training in laboratory in the presence of experts on determining qualify of gems, diamonds and studded jewellery forms an important aspect of GII modules.

The 41st convocation was held on 3rd December in Convention Hall, Bharat Diamond Bourse. GII presented Diploma

Chief Guest, Shri Shyam Jagannathan arrives at the venue accompanied by Shri Mehulbhai Shah

certificates to qualified students and “Best Performance” appreciation awards to students, and “Star Mitra” Awards to the valuable clients of GII. The program was well attended by members from the gem and jewellery industry, students, GII employees, GII and BDB trustees and others. The Program began with the rendition of our National Anthem post which Dr. A V R Reddy, CEO, GII welcomed Chief Guests Shri Shyam Jagannathan, Zonal Development Commissioner, SEEPZ-SEZ, Maharashtra, Goa, Daman and Diu, Guest of Honour, Shri Ramniklalbhai Shah, Partner and Founder, M/s. Venus Jewel, Shri Anoopbhai V. Mehta, Chairman, GII and Shri Anupbhai Zaveri, Managing Trustee, GII and other rustees of GII, invitees, colleagues and students. He spoke about Shri Shyam Jagannathan, his many achievements and vast experience over 25 years. He thanked him for accepting to deliver the convocation address. Dr Reddy also added that Shri Ramniklalbhai Shah, has helped the business to grow adhering to ethical practices offering quality products, pricing and most importantly ’employee care’.

Trustees, Industry leaders and guests attended event

Address by Shri Anoop V. Mehta, Others in the picture L-R are Anupbhai Zaveri, Shyam Jagannathan, Ramniklalbhai Shah and A.V.R Reddy

Shri Anoop V. Mehta, Chairman, GII in his address congratulated all the students for successfully obtaining the GII diplomas. He thanked Shri Shyam Jagannathan, Development Commissioner, and Shri Ramniklalbhai Shah for accepting to be chief guest and guest of honor respectively, for this important program. He was appreciative that Shri Shyam Jagannathan would address students, Alumni and younger colleagues of GII and urged fresh diploma holders to become ambassadors of GII and wished them well in to become good entrepreneur. He also urged youngsters to make an effort to emulate Ramniklalbhai in ethical practices.

Shri Shyam Jgannathan, in his address expressed gratitude for being amongst GII fraternity and a part of 41stConvocation function as a Chief Guest. He spoke to fresh diploma holders about the Current Gem and Jewellery Industry’s Growth, its contribution to National GDP. He assured GII to extend al

Address by Shri Shyam Jagannathan

l possible support so as to facilitate speedy and accurate testing services to Gem and jewellery industry.

Guest of Honor ShriRamniklal Shah told that he was overwhelmed to be Guest of honor for the convocation ceremony and conveyed that they started Venus jewel when global belief was that India did not have the capacity & expertise. Today India is number one in Gem and Jewellery Industry. He emphasized that ethical values are important. He recollected how GII had started 50 years back and is happy that GII has grown well and established a name for itself.

Address by Shri Ramniklalbhai Shah

Fresh graduates received Diploma Certificates at the hands of Chief Guest Shri Shyam Jagnnathan and Guest of Honor Shri Ramniklal Shah. They also gave away merit awards to students and Star-Mitra awards to valuable clients who have been supporting GII since its inception. These awards were instituted by well wishers of GII and Gem and Jewellery Exporters’ Association (GJEA).

 

Diploma certificates and Merit Award given to Students by Shri Shyam Jagannathan and Shri Ramaniklalbhai Shah

 

 

Shri Anup Zaveri, Managing Trustee, GII proposed a vote of thanks. He congratulated students, award winners and GII employees for organizing the 41st convocation. Mr. Sandesh Mane coordinated the program with Mr. Maheshbhai Vaghani, Trustee and BDB Team. Mrs. Silvia Sequiera and Mr. Milind Varhadpande anchored the Function.


Jubilee Diamond : Tata Memorial Hospital

Jubilee Diamond is a magnificent colorless, cushion-cut diamond with a weight of 245.35 carats ranks as the sixth largest in the world. The original rough stone,  irregular octahedron shape weighed 650.80 carats which was found during 1895 in the Jagersfontein mine, Orange Free State. It was named Reitz in honour of Francis William Reitz, then President of the State.
Its largest piece   was   polished into a superb diamond of exceptional size and purity ( colour E and VVS2). The following year marked the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria, so the gem was renamed as Jubilee to commemorate the occasion. Sir Dorabji Jamshedji Tata brought the diamond in the Paris Exhibition and gifted to his wife Lady Meherbai on their second marriage anniversary in 1900.

Dorabji Tata, an    iconic Indian industrialist and a great philanthropist  laid the foundation of India’s iron and steel industry.  Alongwith  the cotton mills founded by his father, these  formed the cornerstone of modern India. In 1924, after world war 1, shortage of money with Tatas treasury, resulted in employees unrest and survival of Tata industries became critical. Lady Meherbai gave all her jewellery including Jubilee diamond, which was then worth about a crore rupees, to pledge and obtain loans. He  obtained loan from the banks   and provided funding to industry to sustain. Even a single employee did not lose the job, as he was very concerned about the welfare of his employees in particular and human beings in general. His industries recovered very well and all the jewellery could also be released from the bank.

Unfortunately lady Meherbai died of cancer in 1931. The sudden and sad loss of his life partner had moved Sir Dorabji and being great philanthropist, he decided to initiate a research institute that would alleviate human sufferings from cancer and related diseases. He formulated a trust for the necessary funds. Sir Dorabji Jamsetji Tata died in 1932. Three years later, his heirs sent the Jubilee diamond for sale at Cartier’s and  in 1937 Cartier sold the Jubilee to M. Paul-Louis Weiller, the Paris industrialist and patron of the arts. Proceeds were added to the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust. The Tata Memorial Hospital (TMH) was founded by the Trust on 28 February 1941 in Parel, Mumbai, India. In 1952 the Indian Cancer Research Centre was established as a pioneer research institute for basic research—later called the Cancer Research Institute (CRI). In 1957 the Ministry of Health took over the Tata Memorial Hospital. In 1962 the administrative control of the Tata Memorial Centre (Tata Memorial Hospital & Cancer Research Institute) was transferred  to the Department of Atomic Energy. The Tata Memorial Hospital and Cancer Research Institute merged as the two arms of the Tata Memorial Centre (TMC) in 1966 and is a classic example of private philanthropy augmented by Government support with a mandate for Service, Education & Research in cancer.

Most competent doctors  and research scientists are working in TMC. Every year more than 64000 cancer patients are being treated. More than 70% of patients are  getting cured. It’s amazing to know that a diamond that was purchased as a marriage gift by Dorabji Tata to his wife later became instrumental in setting up of  a huge hospital in the service of   suffering cancer patients. The symbol of love for his wife became symbol of smile on the faces of patients.

Back to the Diamond:  In 1966 the Jubilee diamond returned to South Africa where it was featured in the De Beers Diamond Pavilion in Johannesburg. Robert Mouawad has since bought the Jubilee, which is now the largest item in his great collection. He is quoted as saying, “If we refer to the human contribution brought to a diamond, my favorite would be the Jubilee for its outstanding cut for the period”.

We can add that “Jubilee diamond has been  instrumental for alleviating  human suffering by paving the way for creating TMH.”

Sources of information:

1.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tata_Memorial_Centre

2. https://www.mouawad.com/en/diamond-diamond-gallery/jubilee

3. Tata Stories by Harish Bhat

 

 

 

Weight: 245.35 carats
Shape/Cut: Cushion Antique
Grade: E-VVS2

Largest Rare Pink Diamond, “The Lulo Rose” mined from Africa

Lulo Mine is a diamond rich mine located in the  Northeast region of Angola. A big pink diamond weighing about 170-carat was discovered in Angola, Africa, named as  “The Lulo Rose” and is claimed to be the largest pink diamond found in 300 years.  Pink diamonds are rare and tested as Type IIa. It is believed to be the largest pink diamond mined since the 185-carat cut and polished “Daria-i-Noor” diamond, mined in Kollur Mine in Andhra Pradesh, India

Picture Source: Lucapa Diamond Company

This rare pink diamond is currently owned by Australia’s Lucapa Diamond Company with Angolan government as partners. The value of the diamond is still unknown, since it has to be cut and polished where it will lose about 50 percent of its weight, but owners are expecting to fetch a high price as a similar type pink diamond, “Pink Star” was sold for 71.2 million USD at Hong Kong auction in 2017.

Source:


REPORT ON EDUCATION TOUR
To Venus Jewels and Lexus Softmac

  • We visited Surat along with 16 students from Diamond Grading and gemology batches on Saturday, 9th July, 2022. Names are given in Annex -1 alongwith 4 photographs.  Shri Brijesh Kansara, Sr. Grader, GII and Shri Omkar Naik, Grader, GII accompanied the students on this tour.
  •  In Surat, we reached Venus Jewels by 10:15am. Mr. Ankur Mehta from Venus Jewels gave presentation on Venus Jewels history and their grading system. Thereafter we visited the diamond manufacturing unit.  Students were explained about the planning, cutting and polishing besides detail of their grading system.
  • Around 2:30pm we went to Lexus Softmac Company. Utpal Mistry Co-founder and Director gave presentation on diamond cutting machinery software.  It was followed by demonstration on the machine.
  • Visit to both the factories are very useful and informative to students.
  • GII records its appreciation and gratitude to Shri Arvindbhai Parikh, Trustee, GII for co-ordinationg with Venus Jewels and Lexus Softmac in Surat. GII thank to Mr. Hiteshbhai Shah, Venus Jewels and Mr. Utpal Mistry, Lexus Softmac for extending the hospitality, showing the facility and explaining to the students.  It is an extremely educative tour.
  • Name of the students visited as under:
    1. Rahul Pandit
    2. Vishal M,
    3. G Aniketh,
    4. Aditya N D,
    5. Nimisha Jangid,
    6. R. T Yogesh Alwar,
    7. G Balu,
    8. Syam M. G,
    9. Siddhesh Salavkar,
    10. Mustafa Adib,
    11. Mohamed H,
    12. Aagam Shah,
    13. Aditya Shah,
    14. Karthik Jain,
    15. Ameenul Islam A R,
    16. Mohak Tripuri.

Mr. Ankur Mehta explaining about Venus Jewels to GII students.

Mr. Utpal Mistry explaining about Diamond Cutting Machinery to GII students.

Group Photo before Venus Jewels premises.

Group Photo before Lexus Softmac premises.


SEMINAR ON NAVGRAHA GEMSTONES & SYNTHETIC DIAMONDS

Gemmological Institute of India (GII), Mumbai is in the forefront of training and Education besides Testing and R&D. GII organizes seminars and Training programmes in Mumbai as well as outside Mumbai.

On the request of M/s Waman Hari Pethe Jewellers, Dadar, GII, organised a One day seminar for their clients on “Navgraha Gemstones” and “  Synthetic Diamonds ” on 1st May 2022 in Nagpur.

Smt Silvia Sequeira, Head Education Dept., GII conducted a seminar on Navratna Gemstones and explained their identification, discrimination  from simulants and the various treatments performed on the precious stones.  Mr. Milind Varhadpande, Head Diamond Grading Dept., GII gave a talk on the difference between Natural and Synthetic diamonds and also their simulants.

The seminar was well attended and appreciated by their important clientele.  After the seminar, an interactive  session was   held which was mainly meant for  seeking  answers and clarifications to various queries. The questions were mostly related to treatments done on gemstones, specifically, Yellow sapphires & Emeralds, and also identification of Natural diamonds from their synthetic counterparts, mainly, when studded in jewellery.

Mr. Neel Pethe, Director, M/s. Waman Hari Pethe, took an active part in this session and  answered the questions with regards to the importance of buying certified goods. He stressed that an  impartial laboratory like GII whose expertise is world-class,  be approached for certification of the goods.

Smt. Silvia Sequeira and Mr. Milind Varhadpande delivering lectures in the Seminar.


Queen of Asia : A Giant Blue Sapphire

A 310kg (1550000 carat) Blue Sapphire was unveiled on Sunday, 12th December 2021 in Sri Lanka. The National Gem and Jewelry Authority of Sri Lanka certified the highly valuable gemstone and  said that the world’s largest corundum was found 3 months ago in Ratnapura  (gem city – located 85 km from   Columbo).  The Authority suggests that it might be sold in international market.  Gem pit owner put the item on display at his house in Horana.

Sources :

https://www.indiatimes.com/trending/social-relevance/sri-lanka-unveils-worlds-biggest-blue-sapphire-556750.html

https://www.republicworld.com/world-news/rest-of-the-world-news/sri-lankas-gem-company-unveils-310-kg-giant-natural-blue-sapphire-named-queen-of-asia.html


GII conducted Convocation on 13th October 2021

Customs Officers’ Training

Gemmological Institute of India (GII) is the Pioneer institute for imparting   Training and providing Laboratory services. GII, since its inception in 1971 has been  serving  the gem and jewellery industry and various Government agencies by providing expertice  / certification / training etc.

Since last 3 decades GII is providing exclusive training to the newly appointed/transferred  Customs Officers to Mumbai. GII is well known for providing training with an emphasis on hands-on training. A special short course, covering Gemmology, polished Diamond grading and rough Diamonds. This   batch  consisted 43 officers including Shri Virender Kumar Choudhary (Principal Commissioner (APSC)), Shri. Kamlesh Kumar Gupta (Additional Commissioner), Shri Ghanisht Yasu (Deputy Commissioner),  Shri.Vaibhav K. Pagare (Joint Commissioner) and Shri.Sunil Kumar Katiyar (Assistant Commissioner); Course was well received and all the trainees, irrespective of their position, were very interactive, sought clarifications to the queries from the faculty and participated enthusiastically in the laboratory work so as to get hands-on experience.

Certificates were distributed to them in the Convocation function arranged in S G Jhaveri

Hall, BDB on 13-10-21. Shri Bakul R Mehta, Chairman, GII  explained various activities of GII. He assured that GII will extend full cooperation, as in the past, to the customs related testing services. Meeting started with a welcome by Dr. Reddy, CEO, GII and he explained about the course and its planning. Shri Arvind Parikh, President DEAL was happy to be associated with the function. Shri Mehul Shah, Vice President, BDB complemented G

II for excellent training and customs officers for actively participating in the training. Shri Kamlesh K. Gupta (Addl Commissioner) told that he was highly impressed with the dedication of the faculty and learnt a lot as a trainee, and also suggested a few topics for future similar training.  Certificates were distributed by the dignitaries as per the list presented by Mrs. Silvia, Head, Training, GII. Shri Anup Zaveri, Managing Trustee proposed a vote of thanks and thanked all concerned with a special word of praise to Maheshbhai Vaghani and Sandesh for organising the function, and the Department of Education, GII for conducting the course effectively

Group Photo taken after the function at S. G. Jhaveri Hall, Bharat Diamond Bourse, BKC, Mumbai.



The Maiko Star ( Sparkler ) sold at USD 15,700,000

on October 5th 2020

A 102.39 carats egg-shaped Diamond named as “The Sparkler “went under the hammer in a single-lot auction without a reserve price at Sotheby’s,  Hong Kong, on October 5th 2020 . It was purchased  for USD 15.7 million by a private collector from Japan for his second daughter and named it after her as   “The Maiko Star” . It is a “D” color, Flawless grade, type II A Oval shape diamond.  The rough diamond of 271 carat was discovered and mined  by De Beers Canada, was then cut and polished over a year by diamond specialists at Diacore to bring out its brilliance.

The live auction was held on October 5th2020 , and bidding started online as early as Sept. 15 2020 with a bidding amount as low as 1 HK Dollar. This unique auction  indicates and reflects the current consumer mood and market sentiments towards luxury products   in the current Covid-19 circumstances where travel is restricted.

Sources:  CNN, CBS & News18 and  Photo courtesy : Economic Times


Blue Rare Diamonds

found in Cullinan Mine, South Africa

Eye witness News (EWN),  South Africa reported the mining of five blue Diamonds from Cullinan mines in South Africa.

It is well known that anatural diamonds are  formed in the earth mantle  in the depths of greater than  140 km. The process is high pressure  and relatively low temperature process.  Diamonds crystallise from carbon rich fluids while travelling through lithospheric roots. Details of diamond formation and mining are well documented.

Diamonds are crystalline substance of single element  carbon which is tetravalent.  In the process of their crystallisation, it is possible  that its periodic neighbours nitrogen and boron might enter the crystal at trace levels. Presence of Nitrogen or boron lends colour to diamonds, and intensity of colour depends on the impurity atoms concentrations in the carbon atom network.

Diamonds that have nitrogen are categorised as  Type I diamonds and absence of nitrogen are called Type II diamonds. In type IIb, those having boron are called type IIb and the presence of boron lends blue colour to diamonds. Type IIb diamonds are extremely rare, attractive and therefore command a high price.The Oppenheimer Blue diamond is one such famous diamond. It is a14.62 carat Vivid Blue diamond.

According to EWN, Petra Diamonds mined five blue diamonds, from Cullinan mines, South Africa. The smallest one is of 9.61cts and the largest one is of 25.75 ct. It is reported that all five diamonds are individual crystals and not from the same rough diamond. All of them are of very high quality and expected to fetch very high price. Earlier recorded blue diamond from this mine was 20.08ct blue diamond and sold for $14.9 million.

References:

  1. https://ewn.co.za/2020/09/16/south-african-miner-finds-five-rare-blue-diamonds .
  2. Oppenheimer Blue diamond sets new auction record”. BBC News Online. 18 May 2016.

https://giionline.com/e-learning/BlueDiamon


Gemmological Institute of India (GII) held its
40th convocation on 13th December, 2019
Two alumni, ShriGadgil, PNG, Sangli and Shri C. P. Singh, Joint Commissioner, SEEPZ were Chief Guest and Guest of Honour respectively

December 13 2019

Gemmological Institute of India (GII) is known for developing Human Resources through its education programs, besides being a reliable testing institute with matching R&D. It is a matter of pride for GII that it contributes to education  over five decades  since its inception.  These courses are being conducted on regular basis. Hundreds of aspiring gemologists and future diamond traders   obtained diplomas in gemmological course and diamond grading courses.  These courses havesyllabie that cover fundamental aspects of gems and diamonds, mining to marketing, characterization and advanced optical techniques.  Training in the labs under the tutelage of experts provides hands on experience to qualify gems, diamonds and studded jewellery

40th convocation was held on 13th December, 2019, in MCA Lounge, Wankhede Stadium, Churchgate, Mumbai – 400020.    As is the practice, in this convocation platform has been used to present Star Mitra Awards to our valuable clients who have been supporting us  since its inception.  These awards are instituted by wellwishers of GII and Gem and Jewellery Exporters’ Association (GJEA).  GII gives away nine best performing appreciation awards to students.  The function started  by rendering  National Anthem.

Dr. A V R Reddy, CEO, GII has welcomed Chief Guest ShriGadgil, Guest of Honour, Shri C. P Singh, ShriBakul R Mehta, Chairman, ShriAnupZaveri, Managing Trustee,  other Trustees of GII, invitees, colleagues and students.  He shared with the audience that Mr. Gadgil has been associated with various aspects of diamonds, studded jewellery of his 178 year old family business, PNG, Sangli. He is an entrepreneur of high standing.Shri C. P. Singh, IRS, the guest of honour, joint commissioner of SEEPZ who has received many awards including presidential award for his efficient working bearer for the  in various capacities. He is an exemplary and dedicated officer to be emulated by fresh graduates and GII younger colleagues. GII  is proud that both of them belonged to GII  and GII thanks them for accepting our invitation.

ShriBakul R Mehta, Chairman, GII in his address congratulated all the students for successfully obtaining the GII diplomas, which will work as passports into Gem and Jewellery trade.  He thanked Mr. Gadgil and Mr. Singh for accepting to be GII guests for this important function.  He explained various achievements of GII during the last two years like significant contribution in R&D, development of new version of QchK machine, continuous and reliable testing services to the traders, sustained working of KIOSK in BDB and organizing an International conference AGDDT-2019.  He emphasized that global traders and institutes, in recognition of these contributions, invited GII to be a founding member of Asia Pacific Gemstone and Technology Standardization Alliance (AGA). Besides National Gemstone Testing Center (NGTC), China has signed a well-planned bilateral agreement with GII and I am happy already bilateral cooperation in technical matters started.

Mr. C. P. Singh, Joint Commissioner, SEEPZ, in his address felt happy forbeing amongst GII fraternity to be part of 40th convocation function as a guest of honour.  He told the new fresh graduates that they should feel proud to qualify from such a value based institute like GII.  He assured GII authorities and employees that he would be available for any cooperation to GII activities.  Chief Guest Mr. Gadgil of Purushottam Narayan Gadgil, Sangli admitted that he was overwhelmed to be Chief Guest for convocation function. He told the audience that it reminded him the day he got his diploma from GII.He paid a tribute to late Mr. K T Ramachandran who has nurtured GII and guided many a student throughout his service at GII.   Mr. Gadgil hoped that Mr. Ramachandran’s legacy will continue in the years to come.

Chief Guest Mr. Gadgil and Guest of HonourShri C. P. Singh have given the Diploma Certificates to freshly qualified students.  Shri B. R. Mehta, Chairman, GII has given the appreciation awards to students including newly instituted Cash Award in the name of Late Shri K. T. Ramachandran.  Star-Mitra awards were presented to our valuable clients by ShriAnupZaveri, Managing Trustee, GII.  Smt. Silvia Sequeira and ShriMilind Varhadpande have anchored these programs and ShriKirti P Das and Shruti Parikh organized the entire program.

Dr. M. D. Sastry briefly presented evolution of GII-Arotek, QchK machine and explained the capability of Ultima J, the latest prototypeQChkmachine to detect lab grown diamonds in studded jewellery.He urged all present to see the demonstration of this machine which was arranged at the venue.  ShriAnupZaveri proposed a vote of thanks.  He first congratulated students, award winners and GII employees for organizing the GII 40th convocation.

A V R Reddy

CEO, GII


AGA (Asia Pacific Gemstone and Technology Standardization Alliance) was founded

Preamble:

In February 2019 with the initiative of the NGTC, it was decided to form AGA. In the next meeting held in Hong Kong during September 2019, the statutes of AGA, code of conduct and related matters were discussed and a draft was finalized. The draft was e-circulated for further refining. The refined statutes were discussed and adopted in the foundation meeting held on 8th November 2019, in Shanghai, China.

Founding Institutions:

  1. National Gemstone Testing Center (NGTC), Beijing, China
  2. The Gem and Jewellery Institute of Thailand (GIT), Bangkok, Thailand
  3. Gemmological Institute of India (GII), Mumbai, India
  4. China Gems & Jade Exchange (CGE), Shanghai, China
  5. Technological Development Center for the Colombian emerald (CDTEC), Bogota, Colombia
  6. Guild Gem Laboratories (GUILD), Los Angeles, US
  7. Gemmological Association of Hong Kong (GAHK), Hong Kong, China
  8. Hanmi Gemological Institute & Lab (HGI), Seoul, Korea
  9. Asia Institute of Gemological Sciences (AIGS), Bangkok, Thailand

The nine founding members of AGAmet on 7th November 2019 in hotel Melia, Shanghai, where Chinese International Jewellery Exhibition meetings were held. The main objective of this meeting was to discuss and accept the finalized statutes of AGA, code of conduct, finalization of membership forms and electing members to various committees. Ms. KeJie, President-elect, AGA, welcomed the participants and explained various objectives of AGA. She has presented the work report of the ad-hoc committee. Dr. Yang Lixin, Secretary elect, AGA, has explained how the various statutes of AGA were finalized through e-correspondence among founding members and their subsequent consultation of legal experts. He specifically thanked Dr. A V R Reddy, CEO, GII, who has contributed 32 amendments out of 44 amendments made on the draft statutes. Various aspects for AGA to go forward were discussed and all the members contributed to the discussion. Symbol of AGA was prepared by an artist, Ms. Li Cia was adopted and, the significance of Red and Bluecoloursin the symbol ( in the left top corner of the Photo ) was explained by her to the members.

As per decision of the earlier meeting, each founding institute has nominated one member to the Board of Directors and one to Technical Commission. Mr. AnupZaveri, Managing Trustee, GII is one of the nine Directors and Dr. A V R Reddy, CEO, GII, is a member of Technical Commission. Later Dr. Reddy was unanimously elected as Director, Technical Commission.

Dr. Reddy suggested that all the members shall exchange opinions and suggestions with a motto of “Communicate, Continue and Contribute for the collective growth of AGA” and AGA accepted it as the modus operandi for communication.

Founding Ceremony of AGA was held on 8th November 2019

In the morning of8th November 2019 representatives of founding institutes of AGA, participants of International Jewellery Standardization summit and a few invited special guests have assembled in the ground floor of Hotel Melia, Shanghai, for the foundation ceremony of AGA. One representative from each founding institute assembled on the stage around 11 am and it was announced that AGA was founded after pressing the lights on the screen which displayed AGA symbol on the screen.

It was followed by 3 special lectures by various experts on standardization methodologies. After founding ceremony, there was a press briefing in which Mr. AnupZaveri and Dr. Reddy answered queries regarding how AGA would help each AGA member like GII and vice-versa. Mr. Zaveri told that as GII is known for quality R&D and reliable testing services, GII would contribute to AGA activities meaningfully. Mr. Pramod Kumar Agarwal, Chairman, GJEPC, was present during this function and briefed the press that AGA should be pro-active for jewellery standardization, so that all the founding members and Asian Countries, in general, will be evolving standardization procedures that would promote exports.


“1+1 >2 and is good for collective benefit of both the institutes” thus spoke Mr. Anup Zaveri, Managing Trustee, Gemmological Institute of India (GII) before Signing the Bilateral MoU between NGTC, China and GII, Mumbai, India on November 8th, 2019 in NGTC, Shanghai, China in the Presence of Shri Pramod Kumar Agarwal, Chairman, GJEPC.

Background: Members from National Gemstone Testing Center (NGTC), Beijing and Gemmological Institute of India (GII), Mumbai,initiated a dialogue during the first meeting in December 2015 to explore the possible areas under technical bilateral cooperation for mutual benefit. Shri Bakul R Mehta, Chairman, GII, has initiated discussion on bilateral collaboration for mutual benefit and continuously guided, reviewed and provided required impetus.  A few meetings were held between representatives of GII and NGTC on different occasions and reviewed the progress made. Signing of Letter of Intent (LOI) on 21st November 2017,signing of implementation of memorandum of cooperation on 15th September 2018 and signing of AGA (Asia -Pacific Gemstone and Technology Standardisation Alliance”  on 28th February 2019 are important milestones  which paved the way for a meeting in BDB, BKC. After reviewing the progress made thus far, GII proposed in this meeting with NGTC delegation members  tomove forward by signing an MOU, draft a road map on action plan and modus operandi for effective  implementation of MOU. NGTC agreed to the proposal and accepted that an MOU could be drafted for signing on 8th November 2019 in Shanghai during the “2019 International Jewellery Summit”. It was also mutually agreed that an MOU will be drafted and finalised by exchanging through e communication.

Areas of common interest: Jewellery education, Training exchange programme, Exchange od diamond graders, development of instrument for diamond grading, joint development of other jewellery instruments and a few more in future.

MOU Signing Ceremony :Mr. Ye Zebin, Director, NGTC, Dr. Taijin Lu, Senior Scientist, NGTC, and a few more from NGTC, China, and Mr. Anup Zaveri, Managing Trustee and Dr. A.V.R Reddy, CEO from GII Mumbai, and Mr. Pramod Kumar Agarwal, Chairman and Anurag Kumar, GJEPC, Mumbai, India participated in the MOU signing ceremony in NGTC, Shnghai branch, Shanghai, China. Prior to the ceremony, all members were taken on a guided tour of  the laboratories and observed their working environment and procedures from sample receiving to testing to certification. The ceremony started with Ms. Je Kie, President, AGA and Deputy Director, NGTC welcoming the participants. Mr. Ye Zebin explained importance of signing the MOU.He was happy with multilateral cooperation in the form of AGA and bilateral cooperations with other institutions. He was happy that the MOU between GII and NGTC includes coherent objectives and definite plans to execute them. He was confident that it will bring the desired results for mutual benefits. Mr. Anup Zaveri ( photo inset)felt that   both will be benefited as the  outcome would be synergistic. He told that  “GII and NGTC already identified   the areas that are common to both the institutes to work under this  MoU, namely imparting quality education, quality training, reliable grading, harmonised joint certification and development of instrumentation. It is gratifying that both the institutes worked at a rapid pace to make an MoU and is ready for the “signing”.

QA/QC and   Joint certification, developing reliable instruments for testing and colour grading are some of the areas that need  urgent attention to move forward.  I may add here that Foundation of AGA,   in the morning is another good beginning for expanding in global domain. I am glad    that as Managing Trustee of GII,   I am on the Board of Directors as well Dr. Reddy, CEO, GII is Director, Technical commission, and assure that all support will be extended to AGA activities”. Mr. Pramod Kumar Agarwal, Chairman, GJEPC explained about global market scenario and told that the need of the hour was developing a jointcertification by ustilising expertise from both the institutes. He urged that both NGTC and GII are good at R&D and developed a few instruments of global standard. He assured full support to GII, which is a project of GJEPC and look forward to contribute to industry. Meeting was concluded with the signing of MOU by Mr. Ye Zebin and Mr. Anupo Zaveri. Agreed modus operandi is described in the following.

Modus Operandi of MOU: NGTC and GII  have jointly decided that they will cooperate in the above mentioned  activities as follows:

Displaying  signed copies of MOU by Mr. Ye Zebin, Director, NGTC and Mr. Anup Zaveri, Managing Trustee, GII.  Dr. Taijin Lu, Sr Scientist, NGTC, Ms. Ke Jie, President, AGA, P.K. Agarwal, Chairma, GJEPC, A.V.R. Reddy, CEO, GII are also seen standing behind.

Jewelry education & training cooperation: One or two faculty members will be exchanged to each other’s institutions for training and business exchanges (depending on the progress of exchanges) to deepen trust and understanding and jointly develop the training and education market.

Exchange of diamond graders:Both NGTC and GII agreed to exchange 1-2 diamond graders to each other for a week. These employees can conduct some networking seminars during the NGTC and GII training exchanges.

Joint certification:Both will carry out the harmonization of diamond grading standards and the uniform testing of laboratory processes and rules for gems, diamonds and diamond jewellery under the unified framework of the Asia-Pacific Gemstone and Technology Standardization Alliance (AGA). NGTC and GII can provide samples for testing.

Development of the instrument for diamond colour grading: In the past three years, the two sides are jointly developing a method for color grading of Cape series diamonds based on infrared spectroscopy and have conducted some discussions and experimental work, agreeing to jointly develop a color grading instrument after conducting sufficient measurements.

Joint development of other jewelry-related instrument: The parties will use the experience in the above projects to jointly explore other jewelry-related instrument.

Comments by Mr. B R Mehta, Chairman, GII

Mr. Bakul R Mehta, Chairman, GII, feels that signing MOU is a requirement to move forward.  Developing equipment for colour grading is an important challenging target for both GII and NGTC.  Conceiving and developing joint certification by NGTC and GII need to be given top priority.  Chairman wishes that progress through this MOU will fulfil many objectives emphasised in MOU and many more in the years to come.

A.V.R Reddy,  CEO, GII

“1+1 >2 and is good for collective benefit of both the institutes” thus spoke Mr. Anup Zaveri, Managing Trustee, Gemmological Institute of India (GII) before Signing the Bilateral MoUbetween NGTC, China and GII, Mumbai, India on November 8th, 2019 in NGTC, Shanghai, China in the Presence of Shri Pramod Kumar Agarwal, Chairman, GJEPC.

Background: Members from National Gemstone Testing Center (NGTC), Beijing and Gemmological Institute of India (GII), Mumbai,initiated a dialogue during the first meeting in December 2015 to explore the possible areas under technical bilateral cooperation for mutual benefit. Shri Bakul R Mehta, Chairman, GII, has initiated discussion on bilateral collaboration for mutual benefit and continuously guided, reviewed and provided required impetus.  A few meetings were held between representatives of GII and NGTC on different occasions and reviewed the progress made. Signing of Letter of Intent (LOI) on 21st November 2017,signing of implementation of memorandum of cooperation on 15th September 2018 and signing of AGA (Asia -Pacific Gemstone and Technology Standardisation Alliance”  on 28th February 2019 are important milestones  which paved the way for a meeting in BDB, BKC. After reviewing the progress made thus far, GII proposed in this meeting with NGTC delegation members  tomove forward by signing an MOU, draft a road map on action plan and modus operandi for effective  implementation of MOU. NGTC agreed to the proposal and accepted that an MOU could be drafted for signing on 8th November 2019 in Shanghai during the “2019 International Jewellery Summit”. It was also mutually agreed that an MOU will be drafted and finalised by exchanging through e communication.

Areas of common interest: Jewellery education, Training exchange programme, Exchange od diamond graders, development of instrument for diamond grading, joint development of other jewellery instruments and a few more in future.

MOU Signing Ceremony :Mr. Ye Zebin, Director, NGTC, Dr. Taijin Lu, Senior Scientist, NGTC, and a few more from NGTC, China, and Mr. Anup Zaveri, Managing Trustee and Dr. A.V.R Reddy, CEO from GII Mumbai, and Mr. Pramod Kumar Agarwal, Chairman and Anurag Kumar, GJEPC, Mumbai, India participated in the MOU signing ceremony in NGTC, Shnghai branch, Shanghai, China. Prior to the ceremony, all members were taken on a guided tour of  the laboratories and observed their working environment and procedures from sample receiving to testing to certification. The ceremony started with Ms. Je Kie, President, AGA and Deputy Director, NGTC welcoming the participants. Mr. Ye Zebin explained importance of signing the MOU.He was happy with multilateral cooperation in the form of AGA and bilateral cooperations with other institutions. He was happy that the MOU between GII and NGTC includes coherent objectives and definite plans to execute them. He was confident that it will bring the desired results for mutual benefits. Mr. AnupZaveri( photo inset)felt that   both will be benefited as the  outcome would be synergistic. He told that  “GII and NGTC already identified   the areas that are common to both the institutes to work under this  MoU, namely imparting quality education, quality training, reliable grading, harmonised joint certification and development of instrumentation. It is gratifying that both the institutes worked at a rapid pace to make anMoU and is ready for the “signing”. QA/QC and   Joint certification, developing reliable instruments for testing and colour grading are some of the areas that need  urgent attention to move forward.  I may add here that Foundation of AGA,   in the morning is another good beginning for expanding in global domain. I am glad    that as Managing Trustee of GII,   I am on the Board of Directors as well Dr. Reddy, CEO, GII is Director, Technical commission, and assure that all support will be extended to AGA activities”. Mr.Pramod Kumar Agarwal, Chairman, GJEPC explained about global market scenario and told that the need of the hour was developing a jointcertification by ustilising expertise from both the institutes.He urged

Displayingsigned copies of MOU by Mr. YeZebin, Director, NGTC and Mr. AnupZaveri, Managing Trustee, GII.  Dr. Taijin Lu, Sr Scientist, NGTC, Ms. KeJie, President, AGA, P.K. Agarwal, Chairma, GJEPC, A.V.R. Reddy, CEO, GII are alsoseen standing behind.

that both NGTC and GII are good at R&D and developed a few instruments of global standard. He assured full support to GII, which is a project of GJEPC and look forward to contribute to industry. Meeting was concluded with the signing of MOU by Mr. Ye Zebin and Mr.AnupoZaveri. Agreed modus operandi is described in the following.

Modus Operandi of MOU: NGTC and GII  have jointly decided that they will cooperate in the above mentioned  activities as follows:

Jewelry education & training cooperation: One or two faculty members will be exchanged to each other’s institutions for training and business exchanges (depending on the progress of exchanges) to deepen trust and understanding and jointly develop the training and education market.

Exchange of diamond graders:Both NGTC and GII agreed to exchange 1-2 diamond graders to each other for a week. These employees can conduct some networking seminars during the NGTC and GII training exchanges.

Joint certification:Both will carry out the harmonization of diamond grading standards and the uniform testing of laboratory processes and rules for gems, diamonds and diamond jewellery under the unified framework of the Asia-Pacific Gemstone and Technology Standardization Alliance (AGA). NGTC and GII can provide samples for testing.

Development of the instrument for diamond colour grading: In the past three years, the two sides are jointly developing a method for color grading of Cape series diamonds based on infrared spectroscopy and have conducted some discussions and experimental work, agreeing to jointly develop a color grading instrument after conducting sufficient measurements.

Joint development of other jewelry-related instrument: The parties will use the experience in the above projects to jointly explore other jewelry-related instrument.

Comments by Mr. B R Mehta, Chairman, GII

Mr.Bakul R Mehta, Chairman, GII, feels that signing MOU is a requirement to move forward.  Developing equipment for colour grading is an important challenging target for both GII and NGTC.  Conceiving and developing joint certification by NGTC and GII need to be given top priority.  Chairman wishes that progress through this MOU will fulfil many objectives emphasised in MOU and many more in the years to come.

A.V.R Reddy,  CEO, GII

Adhoc Governing body of Asia Pacific Gemstone and Technology Standardization Alliance (AGA) is formed in the meeting held on 19.09.2019 in Hong Kong.

AG222
Webp.net-compress-image (1)

The second meeting of AGA was organized in NGTC, Bejing on 19.09.2019 during Hong Kongin the Seminar Hall, S228, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Wanchai, Hongkong. It was a followup meeting to the first meeting held on 28th February in Hong Kong by 4 founding institutes namely, National Gemstone Testing Center (NGTC), Gemmological Institute of India (GII), Gemmological Institute of Thailand (GIT), and China Gems and Jade Exchange (GEC) in which an agreement was signed to form AGA. In addition to the representatives of the above founding institutions, Guild Gem Laboratories (GUILD), The Gemmological Association of Hong Kong Ltd. (GAHK), Colombian Emerald Exporters Association (ACODES), FederacionNacional De Esmeraldas De Colombia (FEDESMERALDAS) and Colombian Emerald Research Centre (CDTEC) were invited to be founding members and their representatives attended the meeting.

The meeting started with a prologue by Dr. Yang Lixin, Director of Standardization office, NGTC. He welcomed all delegates and explained the Agenda. Meeting was chaired by Ms. KeJie, Deputy Director, NGTC and explained members, about the role of AGA. She assured that all the objectives and mission to promote the harmonious development of jewellery industry worldwide, will be worked on. AGA shall be a platform for its members to carry out co-operative scientific research, exchange of technology and experts, sharing of market information, development and implementation of standards in gemstones and testing techniques.

Members spent next two hours on finalizing the draft document of Statutes of AGA which was communicated to all a priori. Dr. Reddy made a few suggestions and corrections in the document and was sent to members before the meeting. Entire discussions revolved around this corrected draft document. It was agreed that the finalized draft document will be e-circulated and will be finalized after four weeks time. Further, members discussedcode of ethics for AGA and finalized format of membership form. However, decision on the quantum of fee wasdeferred until an estimate of annual expenditure is made, which will be done by NGTC. It was unanimously agreed that NGTC, Bejing, China, will be the Head Quarters of AGA and NGTC will take care of initial expenditure. It was proposed that AGA would be formalized on 8th November 2019 in Shanghai. Further, discussions centered around the structure of AGA governance which will consist of Board of Governors, President Secretariat and Technical Executive Committee and a few sub committees. All the founding institution will have a member on the Board of Directors. Dr. Reddy explained the need to have governing members like ad-hoc president and ad-hoc secretary from NGTC for carrying out the work until AGA formally comes into existence, and proposed Ms. KeJie as adhoc president, andDr Yang Lixin as adhoc Secretary of AGA which was agreed by members unanimously. Ms. KeJie and Dr. Yang Lixin thanked members and assured that required initial work will be completed before November 2019 meeting. All the members agreed to send further suggestions, if any, by October 15th to Dr. Yang Lixin tofinalise the draft constitution of AGA and circulate.

The meeting ended with a vote of thanks to the chair.

Symposium on
Advances in Gem & Diamond Detection
Technology-2019 (AGDDT-2019)

August 07 2019 in BDB

Day 1 was dedicated for exchanging current information on scientific and technological developments in gems and diamonds in the form of invited by internationally renowned experts.

1

The symposium was inaugurated by three stalwarts in the trade, Shri Bakul R. Mehta, Chairman, GII, Shri P.A Agarwal, Chairman, GJEPC and Shri Anoop Mehta, President, BDB.

2

From left Shri/s Manish Jivani, Anup Zaveri, Bakul R Mehta, Pramod Agarwal, Rajendra A. Shah, Anoop Mehta, Arvind Parikh, Sanjay Kothari and Mahesh Vaghani.

3

Dr. MD Sastry

4

G. Cavaleiri

5

Taijin Lu

6

Thaong Leelawatanasuk

8
9
11

Mahesh Gaonkar

12

Ann Van Spaendonk

Tom Moses

Richa Singh

Wen Xing Xu

Wuyi Wang

Symposium on
Advances in Gem & Diamond Detection
Technology-2019 (AGDDT-2019)

August 08 2019 in IIJS-19

Day 2 was dedicated for three panel discussions on trade related issues, OA/QC & Lab standardization and, current state of art of detection and certification methods and methodologies, with experts as panel members..

2

The symposium was inaugurated by Shri Bakul R. Mrhta, Shri Sanjay shah, Mr.G.Cavaleiri and Shri Mehul Shah.

1

Welcome Speech by Shri Bakul R. Mehta

3

The symposium was inaugurated by Shri Bakul R. Mehta, Shri Sanjay shah, Mr.G.Cavaleiri and Shri Mehul Shah.

4

The symposium was inaugurated by Shri Bakul R. Mehta, Shri Sanjay shah, Mr.G.Cavaleiri and Shri Mehul Shah.

5

From Left Shri/s Pranay Narvekar, Neel Pethe, Sabyasachi Ray, Suresh Shah , Ramazan Alak Mete and Shreyance Shah.

6

From Left Shri/s AVR Reddy, Natasha Coutinho, G. Cavaleiri, Ramazan Alak Mete, Nirupa Bhatt and Sumed Prasongpongchai.

7

From Left Shri/s MD Sastry, Ann Van Spaendonk, Taijin lu, Thanong Leelawatanasuk and WWenxing Xu.

8

Vote of Thanks by Shri Anup Zaveri.

Asian Gem and Jewellery institutes form an umbrella Association AGA

GII, Mumbai and NGTC, Beijing have taken their bilateral collaborative efforts to next higher level by forming “Asia – Pacific Gemstone and Technology Standardisation Alliance” (AGA) along with GIT, Thailand and CGE, Shanghai. This historic development culminated into signing a Joint statement on 28.02.2019 during HK International Jewellery Show

Wan Chai, Hong Kong, March 01, 2019: National Gem Testing Center (NGTC) organized a half-day seminar FORUM Win‐Win Meeting on 28‐02‐2019 during the ongoing Hong Kong International Jewellery Show in Wanchai, Hong Kong. CIBJO, GIT, GII, CGL, DFHK, GHK and HKIG were co‐organisers. In this half-day open Forum meeting Win‐Win, Shri Bakul R Mehta, Chairman, GII delivered an invited talk on Current Challenges of International Jewelry Trade and Way Forward. After explaining the current concerns of the market with the inevitable entry of synthetic diamonds and colored gemstones, he emphasized the need for harmonized protocols and standardization of testing laboratories to provide the consumer with reliable results which will enhance the confidence of the consumer for investment in Jewellery. Dr. M.D. Sastry, as a panelist explained various aspects of determining the color origin and need for using instrumental detection methods to differentiate natural diamonds from stimulants. Five other invited speakers from different institutes presented their views related to trade concerns, challenges, barriers, need for standards and, the importance of QA/QC particularly harmonization of protocols and standardization of laboratories. After the meeting, Joint Statement for Establishing the AGA was signed by QA/QC personnel of NGTC, GII, GIT, and CGE in the august presence of Directors or chairmen of all the four institutes.

Dr. A.V.R. Reddy signed the Joint Statement on behalf of GII. The signing of the joint statement is the culmination of a series of bilateral meetings, since 2017, between GII, a project of GJEPC, Mumbai and National Gem Testing Center (NGTC), China. The text of the draft statement was prepared by NGTC and GII gave its inputs during a Dinner meeting the held on 27 February 2019 in which members from GIT, Thailand, and CGE, China participated. In the sidelines of this meeting, a bilateral meeting between Gemological Institute of India (GII), Mumbai and National Gem Testing Center (NGTC), China was organized on 28 February 2019 during 11‐12 AM in the GJEPC booth, HK Convention center, Wan Chai. In this meeting under the leadership of Mr. Bakul Mehta, GII and Mr. Liang Zhenjie, NGTC, progress made so far were reviewed. Discussions centered around the exchange of technical expertise, planning an exchange of teachers and identifying areas that need urgent attention like technical cooperation for Developing and Promoting harmonized methods, methodologies and standards. Mr. Mehta emphasized the need for evolving of joint certification by NGTC, Mumbai and GII, Mumbai for which NGTC agreed to work on. Shri Gagan Choudary and Dr. A V R Reddy presented to Mr. Zhen Jie and Dr. Lixin of NGTC draft copies of “Guidelines for the operation of Gems and Jewellery Testing Laboratories” prepared under the guidance of GJEPC. Meeting logistics were made efficiently by Ms. Naheed Sunke.

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Shri Bakul R Mehta delivering an invited talk in the forum Win‐Win

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Dr. M.D Sastry, GII participating in a panel discussion of Forum Win‐Win

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Display of signed Joint statement

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Dr. A.V.R. Reddy and representatives of GIT, NGTC, and CGE signing the Joint Agreement in the august presence of authorities and senior colleagues of the four institutes

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Shri Bakul R Mehta reviewing the progress made during the bilateral meeting between NGTC and GII

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Photograph of Members of NGTC and GII after the bilateral the meeting, taken in front of GJEPC booth.


Report on the GII seminar

GII organised a half day seminar on “Present status on the developments in the area of colour stones and future Directions” on 23-02-2019 in Mumbai.

Gemmological Institute of India (GII), a pioneer institute for gem stone certification and education organised a half day interactive seminar on “Present status on the developments in the area of colour stones and future Directions” in the morning of 23rd February in Hotel Revival, Chowpatty Sea Face, Mumbai. The main objectives were to review continuous developments in this subject and interact with our valuable customers.Participation was by invitation. About thirty major gemstone traders and fifteen GII scientific colleagues participated in this seminar. Seminar was inaugurated by Shri Bakul R Mehta, Chairman, GII and in his inaugural address, he spoke on the need for openness in the market, use of scientific methods for the identification as well as origin determination and requirement of quality data for certification. He conveyed to participants the importance of using harmonised protocols and standardisation of laboratories, and the progress made in this direction. Shri Kirti Das welcomed the participants. Dr. AVR Reddy made a presentation on the flow of analysis and certification at GII. He has explained many a detail of the entire process, importance of quality assurance and quality control, and use of advance techniques. He welcomed valuable customers to visit the labs with prior appointment to observe our process of entire analysis and instrumentation. Dr. M.D Sastry spoke on treatment of gemstones and methods for identification of geographic origin. Dr.Sastry, in his lucid talk, explained various colour enhancement methods with examples and appreciated the ability of GII scientific personnel in determining geographic identification of gemstones. He concluded his presentation by enlisting future requirements and possible direction.

Participants have sought clarifications on colour treatments, crack filling, resin filling, beryllium diffusion and colour treatment both radiation and heat treatments. Shri Nitin Pachchigar and Shri Bhagawati Patel joined Dr. Sastry and GII colleagues in answering queries. Smt. Silvia Sequera, Shri Mahesh Gaonkar and Shri Sandesh Mane gave answers to a few laboratory oriented queries. This lively seminar ended with presentation of vote of thanks by Smt. Silvia.

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Annual Convocation of GII

39th Annual Convocation of Gemmological Institute of India was held on Friday, the 27th April, 2018 at MCA Lounge, Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.

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pramodji

Shri Pramodji Agarwal, Chairman of Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council was the Chief Guest.

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Shri Bakul R. Mehta, Chairman GII presided over the function.

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Shri Arvindbhai Parikh proposed a vote of thanks.

The function was attended by many dignitaries of the Gem & Jewellery Industry.

GII Star Mitra Award

The 2nd “Star Mitra Award” instituted by GII to the Industry personalities who have been supporting the GII by patronizing the institute for certification of their gemstones and jewellery.

There are 3 categories of Awards:

  1. Diamond identification and certification
  2. Gemstone testing and certification
  3. Jewellery grading and certification

The winners of Diamond identification and certification Award for this year are:

M/s INTERGOLD (INDIA) PVT. LTD. & ROSY BLUE, MUMBAI

M/s JEWELEX INDIA PVT.LTD., BDB,

M/s DIMEXON DIAMOND , BDB

The winners of Gemstone testing and certification Award for this year are:

M/s HEERAMANECK & SON, OPERA HOUSEM/s T. T. GEMS, ZAVERI BAZAR

M/s HEERAMANECK & SON, OPERA HOUSE

M/s WAMAN HARI PETHE, VILE PARLE

The winners of Gemstone testing and certification Award for this year are:

M/s HEERAMANECK & SON, OPERA HOUSEM/s T. T. GEMS, ZAVERI BAZAR

M/s HEERAMANECK & SON, OPERA HOUSE

M/s WAMAN HARI PETHE, VILE PARLE

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GII Participated in “India Diamond Week” held at Bharat Diamond Course (23rd to 25th April, 2018)

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Synthetic Diamond Identification made easy

Gemmological Institute of India, Mumbai and Arotek Scientific Instruments Pvt. Ltd., jointly developed an advanced version of the existing Q-CHK Instrument.

Mr. Anup Zaveri, Trustee of GII addressed the gathering of the diamantaires at a breakfast meeting held at Hotel Mandalaly Bay Resort & Casino, Banyan-D, Level 5, South Convention Center, 3950 Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89119.

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Mr. Anup Zaveri, Trustee-GII addressing the gathering

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 Sectional View of Audience

Q-CHK is one of the ultimate Instruments for Identification of CVD-HPHT Synthetics. The testing is done very easily and quickly. It is very versatile Instrument and does not require experience and gemological expertise to operate the machine. It is one stop solution for the menace of synthetic diamonds mixed in the natural diamonds packets or mounted in studded Jewellery. It is also offered at a very affordable price for the benefit of the Diamond industry all over the world, Mr. Zaveri stated.

It is a Luminescence based instrument with sample holder size 11cmX6cm for quick detection of synthetic diamonds (HPHT & CVD) in near colourless to tinted coloured (not fancy colours) diamonds; loose diamond in transparent plastic bags/sample plates and/or in studded Jewellery can easily be identified.

The machine can identify any size diamonds starting from -2 or (half cent) onwards. It is very simple and easy to operate. In a matter of 7-21 seconds nearly 1200 stones can be identified. It is highly recommended as a quick screening facility for traders dealing with large amount of stones and also for Jewellery stores to have a quick look in seconds to find out any synthetics in it.

Diamond in studded Jewellery can be easily detected.

Synthetic Diamond Identification Instrument

Gemmological Institute of India (GII) Mumbai and Arotek Scientific Instruments Pvt. Ltd. launching a Q-CHK++ Instrument for detecting synthetic diamonds in star and melee sizes and in studded jewellery on 2nd March, 2017 at Hong Kong International Jewellery Show at Wan Chai. This instrument is 3rd in the series of Q-CHK after 1st launch of Q-CGK on 8th July, 2016.

Q-CHK ++ is Luminescence based instrument for quick detection of synthetic diamonds (HPHT and CVD) in near colourless to tinted coloured (not fancy colours) diamonds. Loose diamonds in transparent plastic bags, sample plates and/or in studded Jewellery can easily be identified.

The machine can identify any size diamonds starting from -2 or (half cent) and above.

It is very simple and easy to operate. In a matter of 7-21 secs nearly 1200 stones can be tested and identified.

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Synthetic Diamonds in studded Jewellery can be easily detected and their positions can be marked. It is highly recommended as a quick screening facility for trader dealing with large amount of stones and also for Jewellery stores to have a quick look in seconds to find out any synthetics in it.

Mr. Bakul R. Mehta, Chairman, GII and Mr. Rajendrakumar A. Shah, Managing Trustee, GII stated that as on today Q-CHK is one of the ultimate Instruments for Identification of CVD-HPHT Synthetics. The testing is done very easily and quickly. It is very versatile Instrument and does not require experience and gemological expertise to operate the machine. It is one stop solution for the menace of synthetic diamonds mixed in the natural diamonds packets or mounted in studded Jewellery. It is also offered at a very affordable price for the benefit of the Diamond industry all over the world, they have stated.


Synthetic Diamond Identification made easy

Gemmological Institute of India, Mumbai and Arotek Scientific Instruments Pvt. Ltd., Thane India jointly developed an advanced version of the existing Q-CHK Instrument and launched the instrument at the Hong Kong International Jewellery Show on 2nd March, 2017. The launching ceremony had taken place in the presence of Shri Bakul Mehta, Chairman-GII, Shri Sohil Kothari from Fine Jewellery, Mumbai and Shri Manish Jivani from Anand International, Mumbai.

It is a Luminescence based instrument with sample holder size 11cmX6cm for quick detection of synthetic diamonds (HPHT & CVD) in near colourless to tinted coloured (not fancy colours) diamonds; loose diamond in transparent plastic bags, sample plates and/or in studded Jewellery can easily be identified.

The machine can identify any size starting from -2 or (half cent) onwards.

It is very simple and easy to operate. In a matter of 7-21 secs nearly 1200 stones can be identified.

It is highly recommended as a quick screening facility for trader dealing with large amount of stones and also for Jewellery stores to have a quick look in seconds to find out any synthetics in it.

Diamond in studded Jewellery can be easily detected.

Please visit our website: www.giionline.com


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Dr. Lore Kiefert, Chief Guest, addressing the gathering

Highlights of the seminar includes, various types of treatments done to Ruby, Sapphire and Emeralds.

The treatments of heat, diffusion, fracture filling, beryllium etc. are dealt in depth. Treatments of Emeralds were discussed in detail with the help of slides. Identification of all the treatments were explained by study of inclusions and also by advanced spectroscopic methods. Dr. Lore there after given the presentation on Origin of Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald. It was very informative and dealt in detail from the formation of minerals millions of years ago and the drifting of continents and finally the present day position of the deposits are analyzed in very systematic and lucid manner.

Shri Bakul R. Mehta addressed the gathering and welcomed the guest.

Speech delivered by Shri Bakulbhai Mehta, Chairman, GII

Good morning Ladies & Gentleman

It is a Pleasure & Privilege to welcome you all to the Annual convocation of the Institute and award function. The programme will be followed by seminar of Dr. Lore Kiefert. I am pleased in welcoming our Chief Guest Dr. Lore Kiefert, Chief Gemmologist, Gubelin Gem Lab Ltd. Switzerland. She will be giving us a very valuable presentation on “Treatments and Origins of Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald” today.

This is one of the series of seminars by the renowned personalities, which the GII has planned along with other organizations in India. I also welcome Shri Rajiv Jain, MD and Chairman of M/s Sambhav Gems who doesn’t need any introduction to the Gem & Jewellery industry, He is former

Chairman of the Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council and he is the co-convener of the technical Committee of the Council.

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 At the convocation function held on 1st October, 2016

Friends, I stand before you with a heart full of containment and satisfaction that the Gemological Institute of India has crossed over many milestones towards the fulfillment of dissemination of gemological knowledge and advancement of the Research studies related to Gem & Jewellery field in India.

Any Industry after certain stages of its development requires scientific foundation or knowledge base for its un-interrupted growth.

Today the Gem & Jewellery industry in India is one of the most modern industries using the highly sophisticated instruments and technology for manufacturing of gemstones and its identification.

This technological advancement was possible only because of the relentless efforts that have been put up by the industry organizations and educational institutions connected to the Gem & jewellery industry in India.

Since 1971 GII has been actively working to protect, support, promote and propagate the scientific developments and gemological education in the country.
The seed that was sawn by the visionaries in 1971 under the leadership of Shri KirtibhaiDoshiand others has grown into the gigantic tree that started yielding fruits today.

We are indebted and profoundly thank ShriKirtibhaiDoshi, ShriRajendrabhai A. Shah& other senior trustee for their pragmatic approach for scientific development and far sightedness in establishing the Gemological Institute of India, the very first school in gemology in the country.

Now it is the time for present Trust Board and the industry to carry forward the GII to further heights.

For this purpose we need the young talents who have graduated from the institutes like GII. Today it is the time the Industry needs more and more technocrats who are qualified and having commitment, dedication with an open and scientific band of mind.

The challenges the industry is facing today is different from that of yester years.
Synthetic diamonds is one amongst them. Treatment is yet another field where we need detailed study to differentiate natural from treated stones. Origin of gemstones plays an important role.

No doubt the gemstone business is still a very subjective one. The younger generations learn by experience and it is mostly handed over by hereditary manner. Nevertheless, that traditional knowledge of the dealer has to be supported by strong scientific foundation. Therefore we need to spread the knowledge of gemology across the country and around the globe. Gemology is a language we traders should be speaking throughout the world. It is a vehicle of communication.

I take this opportunity to congratulate the students who have graduated from GII and wish them good luck.

Friends, I would like to make an important announcement today.

Over the years GII services and certificates became very popular all over the Country because of the increasing support and co-operation and patronage given to GII by the Industry.

In recognition of this support the Board of Trustees of the GII has unanimously decided to institute an award to those Industry members who have been continuously motivating us and the spirit behind our services and success.

The award is named as “GII Star Mitra Award”.
We have divided the Awards in to 3 categories:

1. Gemstones
2. Jewellery and
3. Diamonds.

We have instituted 2 awards from each category for the top two partners.
We have decided to start this award from the financial year ending 31st March, 2016 and will be continuing forever. I believe in coming years the award would be become most sought after.

I take this opportunity to congratulate all the recipients of the awards.

I invite friends, patrons and associates of GII, particularly from the Gem Stone & Jewellery sector, actively involve themselves with GII activities for promotion of Trade.

I suggest we will introduce colour Gem focused Jewellery Designing programmes. GII will also look forward to partner with Jewellery Retailers in Ad-campaign as certifier.

Coming to the Research and Development activities of GII is concerned our team of GII scientist headed by Dr. M. D. Sastry is doing an exemplary job in taking care of the needs of the Indian industry specially addressing the recent advent of synthetic diamonds in the Indian market.

With the support of the Trade organization like Council, BDB, DEAL, MDMA etc. we are sure that the Indian industry could overcome the challenges that are coming up in the course of our onward journey.

I once again thank you all, especially my colleagues in the Trust Board for their valuable support and co-operation to me.
I also thank Dr. Lore Kiefert for accepting our invitation and grace the occasion with her presence.
I also thank Shri Rajiv Jain for accepting our invitation and grace the occasion.
I also place on record my sincere appreciation to all the staff of GII ably led by Mr. Ramchandran, Dr. Sastry, Mr. Das for their commitment and dedication to the responsibilities entrusted to them.

Thanking you once again,
Jai Hind.


Shri Rajiv Jain, Guest of Honor on the occasion addressed the gathering.

Shri Rajiv Jain was the former Chairman of the Council and he is the Chairman and Managing Director of Sambhav Gems Ltd., Jaipur. Shri Rajiv Jain appreciated the efforts made by GII in promoting the scientific aspects of gemstones by organizing such seminars and he appealed to the industry member to take advantage of the laboratory services offered by the Council’s laboratories. He also wanted the gem testing laboratories in India should work together and share their knowledge for the benefit of the industry.

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Shri Arvindbhai Parikh, Trustee of the GII, Proposed vote of thanks.

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Respected Dr. Lore, Shri Rajiv Jain, Shri Bakulbhai, Shri Kirtibhai, Shri Rajendrabhai and my colleagues and friends.
It is my privilege to be here today to propose a vote of thanks on this occasion of the Convocation and Seminar.
First of all my hearty congratulations to the recipients of the “GII Star Mitra Award” instituted by GII.
It is your support and inspiration that gives us the strength to serve the industry efficiently.
I thank each and every organization especially the GJEPC, DEAL, MDMA, GJEA, BDB for their whole hearted support and co-operation to GII for fulfilling its goals.
We are ever grateful to Dr. Lore Kiefert for accepting our invitation and came to Mumbai all the way from Switzerland.
I am sure that the Indian Industry and our young gemologist graduated today will be immensely benefited from your presentation on Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald in the next few hours. We are grateful to Shri Rajivji to accept our invitation and made it convenient to come here from Jaipur to grace the occasion. We thank you very much for your presence at the function and your valuable advice and guidance is of great value to all of us.

The Coloured stone industry in India is at a cross roads. It has to face number of challenges to compete in the world markets, To address the challenges country need progressive and pragmatic people like Rajivji. I therefore request Rajivji to take maximum interest in the field of various gemological activities.

I place on record my sincere thanks to my friends and colleague from the industry for their valuable and continued support and co-operation to GII.
I also thank the press for their unfailing support to our activities in the media regularly.


Instrument for immediate detection of Synthetic diamonds

Mumbai, 8th July 2016: To address the threat of undisclosed mixing of Synthetic diamonds with Natural Diamonds, the Gemmological Institute of India (GII), a project of GJEPC and co-sponsored by BDB has introduced a new instrument which immediately detects synthetic diamonds. The instrument which has been named as “Quick-Check”, has been designed by the in-house research team of the Gemmological Institute of India and Arotek.

Quick-Check takes only a few seconds to scan the ‘High Pressure High Temperature’ (HPHT) type IIb diamonds once they are loaded in the detection chamber of the instrument. The instrument is simple to use and does not need a highly qualified professional to operate, unlike the currently available diamond detection instruments, which are technical and scientific and hence complex in nature.

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The instrument can detect HPHT diamonds in a few seconds.

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Commenting on the induction of this instrument, Mr.Bakul Mehta, Chairman, Gemological Institute of India, said, We will now be able to detect HPHT Type IIb synthetic diamonds immediately and with absolute results, with the introduction of ‘Quick-Check’. This affordable device will be able to curtail the threat of mixing of synthetic diamonds in the market. This is so essential to maintain customer confidence. I invite Retailer and manufacturers to come forward and avail the benefits of this instrument.

Mr. Praveenshankar Pandya, Chairman, GJEPC, said, We wish to safeguard ourselves against any threat of illicit mixing of synthetics with natural diamonds. With the advent of this instrument, the industry will benefit the most as the detection of synthetic diamonds with this instrument will help supply of natural diamonds to flourish. I am very impressed with the ease of use and affordability of this instrument.


Mr. Russell Mehta, Vice Chairman, GJEPC, also said, This is a landmark achievement by Gemmological Institute of India. India is one of the largest hubs for diamond processing and this initiative will build more confidence in the trade circles.

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