FinancialsMay 30, 2025
Movado’s Q1 Sales Slip Amid ‘Challenging’ Retail Environment The company plans to raise the prices of select watches to offset the impact of tariffs.
Lab-GrownJan 28, 2021
3 Moissanites With Fraudulent Inscriptions Submitted to GIA Lab
The stones were sent into the Johannesburg lab and researchers detailed their discovery in the fall issue of Gems & Gemology.
At left, the fraudulent inscription seen on the lab-grown moissanite, with the GIA report number partially redacted for privacy; at right, GIA’s standard procedure in cases of fraudulent inscriptions is to make the number illegible. (Photo by Tuan Griezel, © GIA)
Johannesburg—Three stones submitted to the Gemological Institute of America’s lab in Johannesburg, South Africa turned out to be moissanites inscribed with GIA report numbers belonging to natural diamonds.
It is a first such discovery for the laboratory.
GIA reported on the finding in the fall 2020 issue of Gems & Gemology, in an article in the Lab Notes section authored by Sicebiso Hlatshwayo and Sally Eaton-Magaña.
The note specifically addressed the first of the three stones received, a 1.02-carat round brilliant recently submitted for a Diamond Grading report.
Standard testing showed the stone was not a diamond, and further tests proved it to be a synthetic (lab-grown) moissanite, Hlatshwayo and Eaton-Magaña wrote.
They noted simulants are “often” submitted to the lab for diamond grading but are easily rooted out using the standard grading process.
This is the first time, however, the lab has come across a fraudulent inscription on a diamond simulant, and the fake was apparent to graders for a number of reasons.
It is a first such discovery for the laboratory.
GIA reported on the finding in the fall 2020 issue of Gems & Gemology, in an article in the Lab Notes section authored by Sicebiso Hlatshwayo and Sally Eaton-Magaña.
The note specifically addressed the first of the three stones received, a 1.02-carat round brilliant recently submitted for a Diamond Grading report.
Standard testing showed the stone was not a diamond, and further tests proved it to be a synthetic (lab-grown) moissanite, Hlatshwayo and Eaton-Magaña wrote.
They noted simulants are “often” submitted to the lab for diamond grading but are easily rooted out using the standard grading process.
This is the first time, however, the lab has come across a fraudulent inscription on a diamond simulant, and the fake was apparent to graders for a number of reasons.
The 1.02-carat round brilliant lab-grown moissanite that was inscribed with the report number for a natural diamond of the same weight (Photo by Innocentia Nzuza, © GIA)
First, GIA checks all stones with a pre-existing inscription.
The report number on the 1.02-carat round brilliant moissanite belonged to an E-color natural diamond of the same carat weight graded in 2019.
The measurements of the stones, however, were “quite different” due to the fact that the two materials have a different specific gravity, Hlatshwayo and Eaton-Magaña wrote.
The specific gravity of diamond is 3.52 while moissanite’s is 3.22, which means that moissanite, any moissanite, has to be slightly larger than a diamond to equal its carat weight.
“Since the specific gravity of moissanite is smaller than diamond, it is less dense and needs to have a larger volume for the same weight,” GIA explained in an email to National Jeweler.
In addition, the font used for the inscription on the moissanite was “distinctly different” from GIA’s usual font and, while GIA does not assign clarity grades to lab-grown moissanite, the stone in question is equivalent to a VVS2, while the clarity grade on the report for the natural diamond is VVS1.
The lab note in the fall edition of Gems & Gemology did not provide details on the other two lab-grown moissanite submitted with fraudulent inscriptions, as they did not come into the lab until after the article was written.
Those stones “were handled in a similar manner,” Hlatshwayo and Eaton-Magaña concluded.
More on Lab-Grown
The Latest
Policies & IssuesMay 30, 2025
Tariffs & Designers: Navigating Pricing in an Unstable EnvironmentBetween tariffs and the sky-high cost of gold, designers enter this year’s Las Vegas shows with a lot of questions and few answers.
CollectionsMay 30, 2025
Piece of the Week: Renato Cipullo’s ‘Hematite Blaze’ NecklaceDesigned by founder Renato and his daughter Serena Cipullo, it showcases a flame motif representing unity and the power of gathering.
Brought to you by
Clienteling Isn’t a Buzzword. It’s an Essential Business Model.More shoppers are walking out without buying. Here’s how smart jewelers can bring them back—and the tool they need to do it right.
Policies & IssuesMay 30, 2025
Trade Court Declares Trump’s Tariffs InvalidHowever, the tariffs remain in effect in the short term, as an appeals court has stayed the U.S. Court of International Trade’s decision.
Weekly QuizMay 30, 2025
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
CollectionsMay 29, 2025
Britney Spears Files Trademark for New Jewelry LineThe pop icon is one step closer to launching her “B Tiny” jewelry collection, a collection she first began posting about last fall.
Supplier BulletinMay 29, 2025
Inoveo Platinum Grain, Exclusively Distributed by StullerSponsored by Stuller
Brought to you by
Las Vegas Antique Jewelry & Watch Show: Showcasing the Most Collectible Merchandise from Across the GlobeGain access to the most exclusive and coveted antique pieces from trusted dealers during Las Vegas Jewelry Week.
SourcingMay 29, 2025
Grizzly Auctions 6,620-Carat EmeraldIt was featured in the miner’s latest sale, which brought in $24.8 million.
TechnologyMay 29, 2025
GemFind Launches AI Product Description SoftwareGemText AI uses artificial intelligence to generate tailored product titles, descriptions, and tags with jewelry-specific language.
MajorsMay 28, 2025
Graff Unveils New Las Vegas FlagshipThe 3,300-square foot location is the jeweler's largest store in North America.
CrimeMay 28, 2025
8 Convicted in Kim Kardashian Jewelry Heist TrialAging and with myriad health issues, none will serve time for their roles in robbing the billionaire celebrity at gunpoint in 2016.
CollectionsMay 28, 2025
NY Liberty’s 2024 Championship Rings Honor Historic WinThe WNBA team received rings imbued with meaning, from leaf motifs and its Liberty torch to the number of diamonds used.
MajorsMay 28, 2025
Andrew Rickard Named JBT PresidentA longtime executive at RDI Diamonds, Rickard has served on the JBT board for the past five years.
MajorsMay 27, 2025
MJSA to Become Part of Jewelers of America The two organizations have signed an affiliation agreement that’s expected to be finalized in the coming weeks.
AuctionsMay 27, 2025
Al Capone’s Patek Philippe Pocket Watch Back Up for AuctionThe platinum and diamond watch is part of Sotheby’s upcoming Important Watches sale.
AuctionsMay 27, 2025
182-Carat Paraíba-Type Tourmaline Sells for $487K Recovered in Mozambique, “The Kat Florence Lumina” was part of Bonhams’ Hong Kong jewelry auction held last week.
TrendsMay 27, 2025
Amanda’s Style File: Candy-Colored GemstonesGet a taste of the delicious candy-like gemstones in this Amanda’s Style File.
CrimeMay 23, 2025
JSA Shares Holiday Weekend Security Tips Amid Spike in BurglariesJSA’s Scott Guginsky provided a list of nine security measures jewelers should observe while locking up for the long weekend.
CollectionsMay 23, 2025
Piece of the Week: Bliss Lau’s ‘Bright’ RingFrom Lau’s “Love of a Kind” series, the engagement ring was inspired by the moon and holds a different meaning depending on how it is worn.
GradingMay 23, 2025
GIA Updates Pearl Classification SystemThe lab has adjusted the scale it uses for nacre grading.
Supplier BulletinMay 22, 2025
How to Put Natural Diamonds Back in the SpotlightSponsored by GCAL by Sarine
CrimeMay 22, 2025
NY Jeweler Sentenced in Shoving Death of Colleague at IJO ShowDavid Walton will serve three years’ probation after an incident in a hotel bar led to the death of West Virginia jeweler David Ettinger.
FinancialsMay 22, 2025
Watches of Switzerland’s Full-Year U.S. Sales Climb 14% The retailer also provided an update on how the tariffs situation in the U.S. is affecting its business.
IndependentsMay 22, 2025
Adeler Jewelers Celebrates 50 YearsThe family-owned jeweler in Great Falls, Virginia, will be celebrating its golden jubilee with a year’s worth of events.
Events & AwardsMay 22, 2025
Jose Hess Design Awards Announce JudgesThe nonprofit elected five judges who will decide the winners of its design competition.
MajorsMay 22, 2025
MJSA Releases 2025-2026 Buyer’s GuideThis year’s edition includes articles on the favorite tools of notable designers, evaluating when to outsource production, and more.
