GIA Announces New Bangkok Campus
Location and Class Schedule
The GIA (Gemological Institute of America) announced today the new location of its education campus in Bangkok, Thailand, which will officially open on Sept. 29. The campus will be located in the same building as the GIA Laboratory and Research Center in Bangkok.
In addition, the class schedule for the remainder of 2011 and all of 2012 for the Bangkok campus has been released. Starting in October, a variety of GIA lab classes and programs will begin at the new campus location including; diamond grading, gem identification, colored stone and pearl grading lab classes. The programs include the GIA Graduate Gemologist and Graduate Diamond program. “Thailand is the world’s leading gemstone trading and cutting center
and a priority for GIA,” said Bev Hori, GIA chief learning officer and vice president of Education. “This new campus location will provide students with significant benefits, including close proximity to our laboratory and research facility, access to our industry experts, and exposure to the latest gemological discoveries as they occur.”
The new location and telephone number of the GIA campus in Bangkok is:
U Chu Liang Building, 2nd Floor
968 Rama 4 Road, Silom, Bangrak
Bangkok 10500, Thailand
Phone: 66 2632 4590
For more information about the GIA class schedule in Bangkok, email giabkkedu@gia.edu or visit www. giathai.net or www.gia.edu.
Diamond industry astonished regarding new
violation of the investigation secrecy rules
Antwerp World Diamond Center (AWDC) and the diamond sector note with astonishment the information that has appeared in the media and the apparent violation of the secrecy of the investigation which has occurred because the authorities have granted access to a stolen list containing names of private persons and bank accounts outside Belgium. Since the beginning of this year the special tax brigade (BBI) systematically refuses diamond undertakings to have access to their individual file, this while also the auditor-general (public prosecutor) at the State Council (supreme administrative court in Belgium) agrees with the arguments of the diamond companies. It now appears that granting full access to the media is not a problem. Tomorrow this case is pleaded for the first time in front of the State Council. As representative organization for the diamond sector, AWDC is not involved whatsoever in this file.
As AWDC has indicated before, it is assisting the authorities that are conducting investigations and will continue to do so in the future. AWDC has continuously been working towards a clean and transparent worldwide diamond trade. In case persons or undertakings would at the end of a trial be convicted for fraudulent diamond trade practices, AWDC will not hesitate to take all appropriate measures. AWDC refuses to get involved in today’s open ended allegations based on a clear violation of basic rights of the persons and undertakings concerned. The diamond industry is by definition an international sector that increasingly operates through international companies on all continents. The involvement of persons and
companies active in the diamond industry with international bank accounts, is the logical consequence of the international nature of the sector. AWDC is informed by specialists that also for Belgian companies, having foreign bank accounts is legal and does not as such imply fraud. AWDC has been working since many years towards a transparent and clean diamond trade. Together with the international Financial Action Task Force (FATF) AWDC has contributed to the development of the international money laundering rules as applicable to the diamond industry and its implementation in Antwerp. Together with the European Commission AWDC worked on the development and implementation of the measures aiming at combatting the trade in conflict diamonds. Since more than 15 years AWDC has been collaborating with the Belgian tax administration on a workable and efficient mechanism for conducting tax inspection of diamond undertakings.
Also in the future, AWDC will continue to work towards the further development of the international diamond trade in Antwerp, acting in close concertation with the international, federal, Flemish and local authorities.Diamonds are the first export product from Belgium outside the EU. Antwerp still remains the world’s most important centre for the diamond trade. Approximately 80% of the total world production of rough diamonds is being traded in Antwerp, 50% of the polished diamonds worldwide, are passing through Antwerp. The diamond industry is responsible for 70% of the Belgian trade surplus and for a total of about 34000 direct and indirect jobs in the province of Antwerp.
The All India Gems and Jewellery Trade Federation, today, formally announced the launch of Preferred Manufacturer of India 2011-2013. Among the many new projects to be launched a unique concept is the introduction of Preferred Manufacturer of India, to build the image and gain confidence of the manufacturing fraternity.
Speaking on this occasion, Mr. Bachhraj Bamalwa, Chairman said, “GJF is a body which has been working towards the streamlining of the gems and jewellery industry in India by encouraging and providing tools for the industry to run their businesses in an organized manner. In that direction, The PMI program benefits are a series of propositions that will act as a catalyst to achieve their business goals and shall recognize the value chain of our valuable industry”
A recent study by GJF revealed that there are three top most concern areas of the jewellery manufacturers which needs to be addressed by the GJF to improve their performance and growth, as a catalyst GJF shall play a vital role to organize the manufacturing segment of the Gems & Jewellery Industry.
Three top most concern areas of the jewellery manufacturers which shall be addressed, catered and customized in the PMI program are:
- Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
- Advertising & Marketing Platform
- Business Growth & Client servicing
The PMI program shall help the manufacture’s Improve market share with strategic goals and increase their benchmark for performance whereby decreasing marketing cost and pursue existing business relationships with an opportunity to develop new business paths.
GJF Presents “Preferred Manufacturer of India 2011-
13 – a platform to achieve business goals