EGL USA opens first full service gem lab in Canada

NEW YORK, June 10 - EGL USA, one of the largest and oldest gemological institutions focusing on gemstone certification and research, will open two offices in Canada in July, in Vancouver and in Toronto. The company, currently with offices in New York City and Los Angeles, will be the first full service gemology lab to open in Canada.

In addition to grading diamonds, EGL USA's Canadian operation will offer services for origin of color on colored diamonds, grading rough diamonds, testing colored stones, including country of origin, grading pearls, laser inscription and appraisals of loose stones and jewelry.

"We decided to open offices in Canada because of its growing importance as a major world diamond producer. Our Canadian clients wanted us to have our lab there, and we felt we could better serve them and the burgeoning Canadian jewelry trade by having offices in its two major jewelry centers," said Mark Gershburg, Director of EGL USA, headquartered in New York City.

The Vancouver branch will be located in the United Kingdom Building at 409 Granville Street and will include a full service laboratory and appraisal services provided by EGL USA's independent appraisal affiliate, Universal Gemological Services. In addition, EGL USA's Rough Diamond Division will move its headquarters from New York City to the Vancouver branch. The Toronto office, located at 55 Queen Street, will provide a drop-off facility for the jewelry trade on the East Coast, with plans for a full service lab in the future.

EGL USA is the only lab in North America that grades and evaluates rough diamonds. "Our new Vancouver office will facilitate our important research on rough diamonds and diamond treatments because most of the major mining companies exploring in Canada as well as in Brazil and Africa are there," said Branko Deljanin, B.Sc., FGA, D.U.G., who has been appointed Director of Canadian Operations. "Vancouver offers proximity to Yellowknife, where the Canadian polishing factories are based, and NWT, where the second Canadian diamond mine, Diavik, will be opened at the beginning of next year." Mr. Deljanin was formerly EGL USA's Director of Gem Identification and Research.

EGL USA's rough diamond specialist Elena Semenets, M.Sc., FGA, CgmA, previously worked as a consultant to the Ekati Diamond Mine in Canada. She is relocating to Vancouver to oversee rough diamond research and interact with mining companies. EGL USA will offer educational programs and lectures for the Canadian jewelry trade in conjunction with Vancouver Community College and its instructor of gemology, Donna Hawrelko. In addition Ms. Semenets will teach "Rough Diamond Grading and Evaluation" programs on a regular basis starting this summer in the USA and this fall in Canada. Branko Deljanin will lecture on "Diamond Treatments: Irradiation and HPHT" and "Rough diamonds: Geology and Grading" at the Toronto Jewelry Show in August 2002.

For more information, contact Branko Deljanin at EGL USA at (212) 730-7380 ext 205 or Branko@eglusa.com