Also, a technical team of would be trained in the U.S. to learn GIA’s grading systems. “Our international laboratory business has grown significantly in the last decade and it is our desire to be more accessible to our clients. By being in key producing and consuming regions, we can better promote GIA standards, and shorten the distance between all our customers and ourselves,” said Tom Moses, Senior vice President GIA Laboratory and Research.

In early October. GIA’s services would be adopted conservatively for stones ranging between 0.15 carats up to 1.99 carats, while for those pieces which GIA’s Johannesburg lab is not equipped will be shipped to the US.
GIA would invite submissions from Botswana and Namibia and South Africa for its Johannesburg lab.

The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) laboratory will be set up in Johannesburg, South Africa in early 2008, as stated by the company. GIA will initiate its operations in Johannesburg in early September, in association with Jewelry Council of South Africa (JCSA). GIA would take over the operations of JCSA while the later will be a part of the GIA Lab Direct Network and become a "consolidator" for GIA, apart from carrying on its independent operations. Leslie Milner, executive director at JCSA will be GIA’s new director.