Consumers warned of fake gems and jewelry

BANGKOK, May 2 (TNA) - The Thai Gem and Jewelry Institute of Thailand (GIT) has warned consumers to beware of fake gems and jewelry products, suggesting that they buy the products from shops with the Buy With Confidence (BWC) symbol. GIT Director Duangkamol Jiambutr voiced the caution on May 1, acknowledging GIT has found many forms of tricks in selling fake gems and jewelry products to consumers lately. Duangkamol said the tricks include selling fake gems and jewelry to consumers with the fake GIT certificate or selling fake gems with the real GIT certificate by replacing the real gems with the fake ones in resealed cases. Duangkamol explained that the real GIT certificate in its full report of any specific piece of gems must have the written characters and the image of the verified piece of gems imprinted by the hollogram technique, together with the QR Code to be scanned for a verification of its series number. Duangkamol stated that the GIT certificate in its memo form, on the other hand, can see a line of the tiny "GIT" word with the watermark on its sticker-like frame through a magnifying glass. The GIT director noted that consumers can access to the GIT website, http://appsrv.git.or.th/tracking, to check whether the certificate and a specific piece of gems are real. The GIT director advised a best way that consumers buy gems and jewelry at shops joining in the GIT's Buy With Confidence (BWC) campaign, observed by the BWC sticker shown at the shops, to assure the real products. According to the GIT director, the BWC campaign has been jointly launched by GIT and some other Thai government agencies, including the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, the Office of the Consumer Protection Board (CPB) and the Tourist Police Bureau (TPB). (TNA)