IGI Says It Uncovered Stolen Diamond

MAY 01, 2006 - Antwerp, Belgium -- Turning into sleuths last month, gemologists at the International Gemological Institute (IGI) intercepted what they believe to be a stolen diamond, the lab says.A 20-plus carat round brilliant D flawless stone that had been high-pressure, high-temperature (HPHT) treated was submitted to IGI's Antwerp lab for review. After examining it, lab officials suspected it was the same diamond that had launched a hunt six months earlier, when Lazare Kaplan International reported it stolen.

IGI identified the stone using both gemological methods and the institute's tracking software, a press release said. Graduate gemologists at the lab were able to determine the stone had undergone the high-pressure, high-temperature (HPHT) treatment process. The diamond also matched the exact weight and measurements of the stolen stone, and it appeared that someone had attempted to wipe out the laser inscription on its girdle, the lab said.

Taken together, those factors led IGI to the conclusion that the stone was Lazare's stolen diamond.Antwerp authorities now have the stolen stone and are investigating the matter, according to IGI."We are pleased to report our experts were able to quickly and accurately identify the stolen diamond," Herman Brauner, worldwide chief laboratory officer and head of research at IGI, said in a release. "IGI's sophisticated infrastructure utilizes a control system that is second to none."