ICA - GemLab to Open Gemological Laboratory in Surat, India, in October 2026

ICA | GemLab will open a gemological laboratory in Surat, Gujarat, in October 2026. The facility will issue diamond, coloured gemstone and jewellery reports for manufacturers, wholesalers, traders, retailers, jewellery brands, designers and consumers across the Indian market.

Surat is one of the principal centres of the global diamond and jewellery trade. The new laboratory places ICA | GemLab inside that manufacturing and trading environment rather than at the consumer end of the supply chain, consistent with the group’s approach of operating in source and trade markets. India is the laboratory’s first facility on the subcontinent and joins the Bangkok headquarters and existing facilities in Dubai and Hong Kong.

Standards and Affiliation

ICA | GemLab is affiliated with the International Colored Gemstone Association, the trade body for the coloured gemstone industry. The Surat laboratory will work to the same reporting standards and professional practice applied across the group.

Leadership for India

ICA | GemLab India will be led by Kalpesh Desai as Director of India.

Speaking about the laboratory, Mr. Desai said: “India handles a substantial share of the world’s diamond and gemstone manufacturing, and Surat sits at the centre of it. Our objective is to give that industry direct access to the analytical methods and reporting standards applied across the group, from manufacturers and traders through to retailers, designers and consumers.”

He added: “We are building for the long term. Reliable gemological information, documented methodology and clarity about what analysis can and cannot establish are what the trade and its customers need in order to make informed decisions.”

Amira Hatta, Managing Director of ICA | GemLab Global, said: “India is one of the most significant markets in the global gems and jewellery industry. Opening in Surat brings our analytical capability directly into that market rather than asking the market to come to us.”

Services

The Surat laboratory will issue three report types:

• 01 Diamond Report
• 02 Coloured Gemstone Report
• 03 Jewellery Report

Services are available to manufacturers, wholesalers, traders, retailers, jewellery brands, designers, professionals and consumers.

International Presence

ICA | GemLab operates from its Bangkok headquarters with facilities in Dubai and Hong Kong. The laboratory also partners with Sri Lanka’s National Gem and Jewellery Authority to bring testing capacity into a producing country through a joint arrangement. India is the next step in that strategy.

ICA | GemLab India