Lab-GrownJan 03, 2024
IGI Detects 6-Carat Lab-Grown Diamond With Fake InscriptionGradingJan 10, 2024
GCAL, Now Part of Sarine, Opens Lab in India
The facility is located in Sarine’s office building in Surat.
The Gem Certification & Assurance Laboratory, which was acquired by Sarine last year, has opened a laboratory in the diamond manufacturing hub of Surat, India. Don and Pamela Palmieri founded New York-based GCAL in 2001.
Surat, India—On Monday, Sarine Technologies Ltd. announced the opening of the first GCAL by Sarine grading lab in India.
The opening of the lab follows Sarine’s acquisition of a majority stake in the Gem Certification & Assurance Laboratory, which was announced last January and completed in May.
At the time the acquisition was announced, GCAL noted how the deal would give it the opportunity to expand overseas using Sarine’s AI-powered eGrading machines without comprising on quality or having to abandon its cash-back grading guarantee for consumers.
On Tuesday, GCAL by Sarine President Angelo Palmieri, who visited the new facility late last month, said the lab in India operates the same way the company’s lab in New York does.
It employs Sarine’s AI grading equipment but, ultimately, there is still a human being who checks each diamond that is graded.
Related stories will be right here …
The opening of the lab follows Sarine’s acquisition of a majority stake in the Gem Certification & Assurance Laboratory, which was announced last January and completed in May.
At the time the acquisition was announced, GCAL noted how the deal would give it the opportunity to expand overseas using Sarine’s AI-powered eGrading machines without comprising on quality or having to abandon its cash-back grading guarantee for consumers.
On Tuesday, GCAL by Sarine President Angelo Palmieri, who visited the new facility late last month, said the lab in India operates the same way the company’s lab in New York does.
It employs Sarine’s AI grading equipment but, ultimately, there is still a human being who checks each diamond that is graded.
The lab is located in Sarine’s office building in the city of Surat, which is surrounded by a number of large diamond manufacturing facilities.
Sarine does not disclose the specific number of employees in any division, including GCAL by Sarine, but said it has approximately 400 employees in India total. Ben Finkelstein is the director of operations there.
Palmieri said opening a GCAL lab in Surat, the city that cuts and polishes the vast majority of the world’s diamonds and is home to a massive new diamond bourse, was the “next logical phase” of the company’s acquisition by Sarine.
“With the technology developed by Sarine, we will be able to place a laboratory anywhere in the world … we are just getting started,” he said.
More on Grading
The Latest
Events & AwardsJul 11, 2025
The Edge’s Annual Conference Returns in SeptemberIts sessions will focus on inventory strategies, staff performance, retention and acquisition, emerging market trends, and more.
CollectionsJul 11, 2025
Piece of the Week: Miseno’s ‘Arco’ EarringsFor its 10th anniversary, Miseno designed the “Arco” earrings based on the Arco Felice, an arch conceptualized in A.D. 95 in Miseno, Italy.
Policies & IssuesJul 11, 2025
James Avery to Donate $1M to Texas Hill Country Relief EffortsThe jewelry company is one of several contributing to relief efforts in the region after the recent floods.
Brought to you by
Investing in the Next Generation of Bench JewelersThe Seymour & Evelyn Holtzman Bench Scholarship from Jewelers of America returns for a second year.
TrendsJul 11, 2025
Kelly Osbourne’s Engagement Ring Is Sweet as HoneyInspired by fiancé Sid Wilson’s nickname for her, the white and yellow diamond ring features a unique honeycomb design.
Weekly QuizJul 10, 2025
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
CollectionsJul 10, 2025
Penny Preville Celebrates 5 Decades of Jewelry DesignThe brand is marking its 50th anniversary with a limited-edition bangle, high jewelry suites, new collections, and more.
IndependentsJul 10, 2025
Steven Goldfarb to Retire, Close Alvin Goldfarb JewelerGoldfarb said changes in the industry, coupled with his age and the updates needed to modernize his business, drove his decision.
Brought to you by
Jewelers of America is Headed to Las Vegas for JCK 2025The countdown is on for the JCK Las Vegas Show and JA is pulling out all the stops.
MajorsJul 10, 2025
LVMH Names New Chairman, CEO of the AmericasLongtime LVMH executive Michael Burke has stepped into the role.
Events & AwardsJul 10, 2025
IAC Gold and Diamond Conference Returns to NYC Central topics of next week’s event include climate action, labor rights, artisan preservation, and value retention in producing countries.
MajorsJul 10, 2025
Hearts On Fire Appoints New Sales DirectorVickie Rokkos has joined the jewelry company as its new national sales director of North America.
SurveysJul 09, 2025
Jewelry Stays Strong as Luxury Market Slows, Bain & Co. Says Turbulence will be the new baseline for luxury as it faces its biggest potential setbacks in 15 years, a recent report said.
Supplier BulletinJul 09, 2025
JCK Unwrapped: Trends, Insights & Post-Show TipsSponsored by Rio Grande Jewelry Supply
CollectionsJul 09, 2025
Cece Jewellery’s New Fruit Jewels Celebrate Life’s SweetnessThe “For the Love of Fruits” collection features five fruit pendants, each holding a different meaning.
EditorsJul 09, 2025
The Most-Read Stories of 2025, So FarDiamonds and crimes (some involving diamonds) top the list of National Jeweler’s most popular stories halfway through the year.
SourcingJul 09, 2025
Florida Couple Finds 3-Carat Diamond in ArkansasThey discovered “The Dash Diamond,” named for their dog, at the Crater of Diamonds State Park earlier this month.
CollectionsJul 08, 2025
Mikimoto’s High Jewelry Collection Turns Pearls into PetalsThe “Les Pétales” collection imagines roses caught mid-bloom as a tribute to nature’s beauty.
ColumnistsJul 08, 2025
Peter Smith: Why Jewelers Struggle With Premium PricingLuxury brands charge thousands for their shoes and handbags. Jewelers pricing diamond products should take note, Peter Smith writes.
IndependentsJul 08, 2025
David Rotenberg of David Craig Jewelers Dies at 79Rotenberg was an active member of the American Gem Society and an accomplished appraiser who also worked with therapy dogs at a hospital.
TechnologyJul 08, 2025
‘Diamond Divas’ Brings the Showroom to Social Media Reality SeriesIt follows New York-based brand Shahla Karimi Jewelry’s all-women team in “Say Yes to the Dress” meets “The Office”-style episodes.
Policies & IssuesJul 08, 2025
SMO Gold Launches New FoundationIn its inaugural year, the SMO Foundation will focus on supporting two organizations in West Africa and one in South America.
Policies & IssuesJul 07, 2025
Higher Tariffs Set to Take Effect Aug. 1, Officials SayThe announcement comes just as the 90-day freeze on the “reciprocal” tariffs nears its end, giving countries more time to negotiate.
SourcingJul 07, 2025
Natural Diamond Council CEO David Kellie To Step DownKellie, who joined the organization in 2019, will remain in his role through the end of 2025.
CrimeJul 07, 2025
7 Suspects Charged in California Jewelry Store BurglaryPolice officers apprehended the suspects as they were allegedly attempting to gain entry into another jewelry store.
Events & AwardsJul 07, 2025
Applications Open for Ella Klein Internship The program, a collaboration between Julius Klein Diamonds and the Women’s Jewelry Association, is in its second year.
Supplier BulletinJul 03, 2025
Protect Your Customers and Your BusinessSponsored by the Gemological Institute of America
MajorsJul 03, 2025
Brilliant Earth Names Tennis Star Madison Keys as Its New AmbassadorThe 2025 Australian Open champion is the jewelry brand’s first athlete ambassador.
