The Gemmological Institute of India (GII) plays an important role in the local diamond industry, offering a broad range of services, which include diamond grading and certification, detection of diamond treatments and identification of synthetic diamonds, as well as research and gemological education courses highly popular and widely recognized in the trade in India and abroad having trained more than 5,000 students. The GII runs the only gem and diamond-testing laboratory in Mumbai fully equipped with state-of-the-art instruments. In 2013, the Institute set up the Diamond Detection and Resource Centre (DDRC) at the Bharat Diamond Bourse (BDB) focused on detecting lab-grown diamonds. The GII is widely recognized by international gemmological laboratories and is well connected with industry organizations. Bakul Mehta, Chairman of the GII, answers the questions from Rough&Polished in the exclusive interview below.
For the benefit of the readers, can you tell us about the Gemmological Institute of India (GII) inception, its history and its contribution to the Indian gem and jewellery industry?
The Gemmological Institute of India (GII) is the pioneer institute in India to establish the first Gem Testing Laboratory in the early year 1971. GII is a non-profit organization relentlessly serving the gem industry over the last 44 years. It is a project of Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council and co-sponsored by Bharat Diamond Bourse, Diamond Exporters’ Association Ltd., Gem & Jewellery Exporters’ Association and Mumbai Diamond Merchants’ Association.
GII is the only Gem Testing Laboratory in the country, which has the coveted recognition as a SIRO (Scientific Industrial Research Organization) Laboratory by the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India in the field of gemmology. The Institute is also recognized by CIBJO, the apex organization of the Gem & Jewellery Industry in the world.
The Institute offers laboratory, research-and-development and education services to the Indian industry. The laboratory is fully equipped with all types of most modern, advanced and sophisticated instruments and capable to identify all types of gemstones, including various types of treatments done to coloured gemstones and diamonds; as well as all types of synthetics and simulants.
Various gemstones like rubies, emeralds, sapphires, alexandrite, quartz, diamonds and its simulants are regularly synthesized and are seen in the market in large quantity. Identification of some of the synthetics by the conventional gem testing methods is very difficult due to the advent of newer methods of gem synthesis. However, the GII Laboratory is fully equipped to identify any types of synthetic stones.
As India is emerging to be one of the leading consuming centres for studded jewellery articles, GII decided to extend its services to the jewellery industry for grading diamond-studded jewellery. GII certificates for diamond-studded jewellery is widely accepted all over the country and overseas markets.
Is GII now involved more in research related studies or into conducting educational courses?
GII has established a full-fledged research and development department, which is recognized by the Departments of Science and Technology, Govt. of India as a SIRO (Scientific and Industrial Research Organization) Laboratory, which is the highest recognition to a research laboratory by the DST, Govt of India.
In pursuance of the research activities, GII has taken up various research studies directly related to gemstones, especially the identification of synthetic diamonds, identification of colour and quality enhancement by various methods of treatments, such as heat, irradiation, filling of fissures with foreign substances, diffusion, etc.
The results and achievements of the research studies conducted at the GII Lab are always incorporated in the courses conducted by GII. In this manner our courses are always upgraded with the latest information and suitable developments taking place in the industry. The GII education programme is highly acclaimed. The GII Gemmology and Diamond Grading Courses are always a most sought after programme in the country.
Thousands of students from all corners of the country have already taken up the courses at GII and many are highly successful professional jewellers and gemmologists in the country. We have been carrying out the upgradation programme of our courses as an ongoing process.
The gemmological education is very important for the industry to build a sound and strong edifice and GII is committed to that.
What are the courses being conducted now at the Institute? Has GII affiliated with other similar institutes from overseas to be on par with them technologically?
GII offers gemmology, as well as diamond grading and jewellery design courses. GII was the first institute in India to start courses in gemmology in 1971 onwards. Over the years, GII has designed and developed courses as per the requirement of the Indian gem industry.
GII’s gemmology courses comprise in-depth study of gemstones from their formation till they are cut and polished and set in jewellery, with maximum stress on practical training. Similarly, the diamond course offers grading of small size diamonds, which are mostly traded in Indian markets.
GII offers basic jewellery design courses. However, the jewellery design programme is now being revamped into a specialized jewellery design course focused on coloured stones.
GII’s Gemmology Programme is affiliated with the Gemmology Courses offered by the Gemmological Association of Great Britain, “Gem-A”. The Gemmological Association of Great Britain is the world’s pioneer institute in gemmology. It started the first organized study of gemmology in 1908. “Gem- A” offers the most coveted Fellowship Diploma known as FGA, which is a two-year correspondence course with theory and practicals. Students, who have done the diploma course in gemmology from GII, are exempted from the 1st year of the FGA course. They can directly appear for the Final Examination of FGA. This saves almost one and half lakhs of rupees and one year for a diploma student of GII, who wants to pursue further studies in FGA.
Are there other institutes like GII in India? How important is the education and training for the gem and jewelry industry in India?
Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council is promoting the study of gemmology through its institutes in Mumbai (GII and IIGJ), Jaipur (IIGJ), Delhi (IIGJ) and Surat (IDI). Other centers like Surat, Jaipur and Delhi offer gemmology courses in addition to courses at some of the international institutes like GIA, IGS and HRD in India.
Creating a scientific foundation is very important for the growth of any industry. No industry can grow over a certain limit without a proper scientific base. Realizing this vital need, the industry and the Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council, as well as other trade organizations have decided to promote and propagate the study of gemmology in India. The Indian gem industry has overgrown the traditional cottage industry based in certain regions of India turning into a truly corporate multinational business setup. This growth in turn necessitated the introduction and infusion of scientific knowledge into the gemstone industry.
Therefore, it is the need of the hour to educate the industry enabling it to expand its business and also generate more employment opportunities to the unemployed masses in India.
What is your take on the ‘synthetic diamond’ scenario globally? What steps are being taken by the Indian industry to protect the diamond trade from being distressed by ‘synthetics’? And how is GII participating in bringing a sense of confidence to the Indian diamond industry?
Synthetic diamonds are there in the market for a long time, but the modern methods to synthesize diamonds by way of the HPHT and CVD processes have led to producing synthetic diamonds of very good gem quality at a cheaper rate compared with natural diamonds.
No doubt, these newer synthetic diamonds are a matter of serious concern for the industry in India. Keeping the urgency and need of the matter in mind, the Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council and the Bharat Diamond Bourse have initiated the Diamond Detection and Research Center (DDRC) at the Bharat Diamond Bourse in BKC under the aegis of GII. DDRC is established exclusively for the detection of synthetic diamonds being equipped with the most modern and sophisticated instrumentations.
With the present laboratory setup, GII is fully capable to identify all types of synthetic diamonds with 100% guarantee. Ever since DDRC has started its operation, thousands of diamonds have been tested and certified by the center.
With the identification facilities being opened up at BDB, the fear factors which the industry had in its mind, is totally eliminated. We are giving the industry its full support for identification of all types of synthetics at a very nominal and affordable cost of Rs. 80 per diamond.
We have come across many synthetic diamonds in the laboratory, but so far to the best of our knowledge there are no instances of synthetic stones being mixed up with natural diamonds.
Aruna Gaitonde, Editor in Chief of the Indian Bureau, Rough&Polished
