March 09, 2008	Sunday	Safar 30, 1429

KARACHI, March 8: A diamond grading training workshop, organised by the Pakistan Gems and Jewellery Development Company (PGJDC), started in Karachi on Saturday.

The workshop is being attended by 15 people from gems and jewellery industry, and is the first of its kind in the country. The training is being conducted by Mansoor Usman, a graduate from the Gemmological Institute of America, California.

In this training workshop, the participants would also learn the techniques of diamond appraisement and value assessment.

PGJDC chief executive officer Fawwad Khan said that keeping in view the demand, the PGJDC decided to organise this two-week diamond grading course, and emphasised the need for adopting new trends and technology in diamond cutting, grading, appraisement and value assessment to promote Pakistani diamond products in the international market.

Fawwad informed that more such training courses on diamond grading would be organised in other cities as well in the near future.—APP