A woman’s best friend just made a new friend. International Gemological Institute (IGI) has now set up shop in the city to grade and evaluate diamonds and diamond jewellery. It is “Calcutta’s first laboratory and India’s third” for testing and grading gemstones, located on the seventh floor of Fort Knox on Camac Street. With existing clients like P.C. Chandra, B.C. Sen, Sawansukha, Nemichand Bamalwa, R.C. Parekh, DTC and more, buyers can now be assured that their diamonds are worth the thousands they shell out for them.

“The four Cs — cut, carat, clarity and colour — of the diamonds that customers bring to us are graded and we issue a certificate of the diamond’s characteristics,” said Roland Lorie, CEO, IGI (worldwide). Although diamond jewellery companies are it’s main customers, IGI also evaluates diamonds and diamond jewellery for individuals, but on appointment only.

Established in 1975 at Antwerp, the world’s diamond capital, the move to open shop in Calcutta was triggered by demand. “The Calcutta market accounts for 11 per cent of the total Indian diamond carat consumption. Earlier jewellers would ship their goods to our Mumbai lab, or our ‘mobile lab’ would travel here to get them certified. In recent times, the demand from customers to grade diamonds had increased so significantly that it seemed wise to set up office here,” said Tehmasp Printer, managing director, IGI India.

IGI also runs a School of Gemology in Mumbai that offers jewellery designing, diamond grading and retail sales courses. “We teach students to improve the cut and hence give more life to diamonds. Our aim is to bring diamonds across the world to the same level of perfection,” said Lorie.

“Now sellers can focus more on the beauty of the product instead of assuring the buyer of the diamond’s quality. Customers today are smart and savvy — certification gives them that extra security and confidence. It’s like the cherry on the cake,” smiled Lorie.
So the next time you want to know what your precious diamonds are worth, you know where to head.

Diamond Dos & Don’ts

Do not wear fine jewellery when doing housework or gardening
Diamond is a hard mineral. If you pile your jewellery on top of each other, it can scratch your pearls and other gemstones
Clean your fine jewellery by soaking it in warm soap-water using a mild detergent
Use a soft brush to remove grease or dirt around the prongs
When buying diamonds, choose shops that give IGI certificates. If you are still unsure about the quality of the diamond, you may re-confirm it at the IGI lab at 6 Camac Street