With the goal of bringing prestige to the field of gemology, the collaboration with the Vespa / Labigem laboratory has led Studio Gallian to be the first consulting firm in the world to lead a gemological laboratory in the accreditation path with ACCREDIA.

Studio Gallian as a first step, taking into consideration the activities carried out by the laboratory, carried out the drafting of the procedure of the internal method for defining the mass of gemstones and other masses. This method was based on the standards:

• UNI EN 17025:2018 – General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories;
• UNI EN ISO 9001:2015 – Quality management systems;
• ISO 24016:2020 – Jewellery and precious metals, grading polished diamonds. Terminology, classification and test methods;
• UNI 9758:2003 – Diamonds – terminology, classification, characteristics and test methods.

As a consequence of the internal method, the operational instruction on the proof to be accredited was developed. In order to support the laboratory’s validity in performing the proofs, Studio Gallian was responsible for objectively qualifying the laboratory operators through duplicate analysis and an interlaboratory comparison. The interlaboratory comparison involved, in addition to the Vespa laboratory, two other Accredia-accredited measurement laboratories. Studio Gallian was responsible for the direct annotation of the test results (so as to ensure the impartiality of the Vespa laboratory), the statistical analysis of them, and the writing of the final report. Once all necessary activities were completed, the audit with Accredia for accreditation of the test method was held on 8/26/2021, and on 10/19/2021, it was approved in the committee.

Following the accreditation of the method and the publication of UNI 9758:2021 and UNI 11828:2021 concerning terminology, grading, characteristics and test methods for natural diamonds and synthetic diamonds, respectively, it was decided to expand the laboratory’s accreditation to these two standardized methods as well.

Studio Gallian then carried out the preparation of the procedures and operating instructions, once approved by the Vespa laboratory, the qualification of laboratory operators with duplicate analysis was carried out. An interlaboratory comparison (according to UNI CEI EN ISO/IEC 17043:2010), in which gemological analysis laboratories were involved, was also organized for these tests. Studio Gallian was responsible for the annotation of the test results (so as to ensure the impartiality of the Vespa laboratory), the statistical analysis of them, and the writing of the final report. On 12/05/2022 and 13/05/2022 audit days were held for the previously accredited internal method and the two normed methods brought in for extension. The visit was successful and on 06/22/2022, the extension of the accredited tests was confirmed at the committee meeting.

This process has led the Studio Gallian to be the first consulting firm to have accompanied a measurement laboratory on the path to becoming the first laboratory in the world to be accredited with standardized methods in the field of gemology.