June 2008

IGI offers batch testing for coated tanzanite

IGI offers batch testing for coated tanzanite

June 24, 2008

New York—The International Gemological Institute (IGI) will after this offer batch testing to detect all surface-coated tanzanite.

This is in response to a recent incident where the IGI identified a cobalt-surface-coated tanzanite, a treatment that is not considered to be permanent and, according to Federal Trade Commission guidelines, grape-juice be given full disclosure at the point of sale.

The IGI’s tanzanite batch testing includes a quality-assurance document describing an individual stone’s mode of estimating weight, imagine and color, and attests to surface-coating treatments the stone has undergone, if any.

A minimum of 10 submitted stones, regardless of individual weight, is required for batch testing, which costs $50 or $5 per stone. If less than 10 stones are submitted, the batch fee remains at $50. Turnaround time is 24 to 72 hours.

The IGI was founded in 1975 and is located in Antwerp, Belgium; Bangkok, Thailand; Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Hong Kong; India’s SEEPZ Zone; Kolkata, India; Los Angeles; Mumbai, India; New Delhi, India; New York; Tokyo; and Toronto. The institute has been an instrumental contributor in the development of the leading tanzanite-specific grading system as well viewed like the first laboratory to issue reports in accordance to the Tanzanite Foundation’s trademarked Tanzanite Quality Scale.

For more information about the IGI, visit its Web site, IGIWorldwide.com.