What they are trying to do is not to inform, but to seed a notions that identification can only be accomplished in fancy labs thereby driving business for their lab.
I just love reading posts like this about G.I.A. especially the
comment about loving to beat up on G.I.A.
I had a friend that lived in Camarillo, California. He made friends
with people at G.I.A. and he would go there and be able to have
things examined with their electron microscope, at no charge. This
was esoteric knowledge to determine rare or unusual inclusions in
diamonds.
I believe G.I.A. is the preeminent lab for Gemology for the jewelry
industry. They had some problems not too long ago, and Bill Boyajian
(SP) stepped down although it was like the Postmaster General of the
United States stepping down as a result of mail theft by a postal
carrier. Bill was there when I went there (1977) and I know his
passion and commitment for Gemology and G.I.A. Perhaps he was just
ready for something new.
G.I.A. has always been at the fore front in research of gem
materials, gem treatment, and the development of techniques to
separate man made materials from natural and the treatments to
enhance natural materials.
I do not have test equipment other than a loupe and a microscope as
that is all I need for what I do, however I have a fully accredited
gem lab available for any testing by someone who has kept up with
all the minutiae that I am just too lazy to keep up with.
I would never trust my limited knowledge if I was in doubt as to
exactly what something was, or what enhancement might have been used
if I was selling a very high dollar gem. A fancy lab and a
knowledgeable Gemologist is the only way I could be sure.
When I was at G.I.A. there was a guy named Henry Ho. He went through
all the colored gems quite quickly as his father was a gem dealer in
Hong Kong. He ended up spending alot of time in the gem lab although
he was student. At one point he was showing a portfolio for a
chrysoberyl catseye his father had. Large and extremely rare, if you
were interested in purchasing it, it would be cheaper to fly to you
to Hong Kong to view it than it would have been for the insurance to
bring it to the United States. One day in class Richard T. Liddicoat
came into the class to show us a translucent blue star sapphire, he
was all lit up as it was a remarkable gem not often seen.
Most of the people on this forum have not bought or sold gems of the
quality to need a gem lab or the use of one where the risk was
significant to be sued if there was fraud intentional or otherwise.
āTo seed a notion that a lab is needed for identificationā in some
casesit would be quite wise for someone who would otherwise be not
just a fool, but an absolute fool as more could be lost that you can
imagine if you sold something on someone elseās word without absolute
verification, or paid a lot for something that turned out to not be
the value the seller assigned to it.
In my not so humble opinion, this it what separates those who have
integrity from those who think they have integrity.
When diamonds are certificated by the G.I.A. lab, three people test
the diamond. This is an indication to me that this procedure is not
just dependent on lab equipment, but rather an objective conclusion
based on perception and knowledge.
I am prejudice as I attended in residence which means I spent 6
months, 5 days a week, eight hours a day at G.I.A. I have always been
grateful for the opportunity I had, the opportunity I chose for
myself. It has served me well the last 31 years. But then, gems have
been and still are a passion of mine.
As I tell my customers, I went to G.I.A. in 1977 and I still
remembersome of it.
Richard Hart