EGL Asia
and NGGC, the state-owned Chinese diamond grading laboratory, have announced
they will expand their current cooperation and begin issuing identification
reports for colored gemstones—in particular for emeralds, rubies and sapphires.

Customers who wish to receive a colored gemstone
identification report from both organizations can do so by paying only for the
EGL Asia certificate.

“In Asia, and in particular in greater China, consumer
demand for better quality colored gemstones is very much on the rise,” said
Joseph Kuzi, EGL Asia’s CEO, in a statement. “Our joint decision to expand our
labs’ identification and grading services to colored gemstones comes in
response to the increased market demand.”

“The current expansion to full colored gemstone services is
a logical step toward our labs’ expanding range of services,” NGGC director Xie
Qi Yao said in a statement. “While we expect that the majority of colored
gemstones submitted for identification will be one of the big three, we will
gladly accept other gemstones as well.”

JCK