Gemologists from the IGI lab in Thailand were shocked to find that a 6.18-carat stone presented as a natural gem was actually a synthetic “imposter”. According to IDEX Online, the lab-grown stone was submitted for verification and came with a GIA certificate stating it was a natural diamond, D color, flawless clarity and triple excellent cut.
However, the natural stone was then “fraudulently replaced with a lab-grown that had been deliberately cut and polished as an extremely good replica”.
In a statement, the lab said: “The diamond was lab-grown and was cut and polished specifically to match the data on the GIA report with meticulous precision previously never seen. To further the deception, the stone was inscribed with a fake laser number”.
Bob Van Es, IGI Thailand and Hong Kong managing director, said: “This is the largest lab-grown diamond ever certified by a leading gemological laboratory, where the sole purpose was to pass off a lab-grown stone as natural”.
