KIEV, Ukraine, Nov. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Fraud and counterfeiting of a wide range of valuable goods, including designer fashions, precious gems, antiques and fine art, has emerged as a multi-billion dollar epidemic costing buyers and sellers around the world. The International Chamber of Commerce estimates that seven percent of world trade is in counterfeit goods. However, an exciting new technology can give brands and consumers peace of mind as to the authenticity and history of what is owned or being offered for sale, while at the same time aiding law enforcement in identifying and recovering stolen items.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091117/PH13042 )

The first large scale use of this new security technology is by the De Beers Group, the 100-year-old leading diamond company, with its dominant mining interests and a global retail network. Last year, De Beers joined with the EDAPS Consortium, a Ukrainian-based global security document company which prints government-issued passports and legal bank note currencies, to produce a highly protected, tamper and forgery-proof "De Beers Diamond Passport."

The EDAPS-produced passport guarantees the authenticity of a specific De Beers diamond which is given a unique identification number which is invisible, even under very high magnification, except with a proprietary device.

The De Beers Diamond Passport documents the item's image and ID number along with its color, clarity, carat weight, exact cut, measurements, origination and metal type. These characteristics are included within a virtually indestructible polycarbonate data page on the diamond's accompanying passport. Through the use of a proprietary method of laser engraving, each passport is protected with 29 security elements, making it impossible to counterfeit or alter, and guaranteeing the legal origin of the stone.

With a surge in demand for investment grade diamonds with certificates running in parallel with the demand for gold, the De Beers Diamond Passport is the first of its kind globally combining forgery-proof security with the ease of authentication.

"While the De Beers Diamond Passport is the first to utilize this new secure identification and authentification technology, its success has enabled us to pursue expanded use of highly sophisticated security measures that include spectral taggants, contactless chips and customized holograms to provide effective, secure and reliable documents to help protect a wide range of valuables and consumer products," said Yuri Sidorenko, Chairman of the Advisory Board of the EDAPS Consortium. "Just as a person's passport photo, date of birth, finger print and history of travel allow immigration authorities to verify who you are and where you have been, we can now verify the 'face' and essential details about a diamond or other valuable item so as to avoid fakes and frauds."

De Beers has previously stated that "the creation of a family heirloom is to be enjoyed by many generations. We take the security of these precious stones quite seriously, which is why we are the first and only jewelry house to offer such certification to our clients."

The De Beers Diamond Passport is but one example of the potential use of the EDAPS security technology to protect global brands whose products are vulnerable to fraud and counterfeit without such documentation in place.

About The EDAPS Consortium

The EDAPS Consortium is the only group in the world with full cycle in-house capabilities to produce and implement the most secure identification documents and accompanying electronic systems. EDAPS combines unrivalled expertise in securing documents and goods by using unique technologies in the fields of lasers, polycarbonate, biometrics, demetallised holograms and electronic systems. EDAPS' record of accomplishment in fighting smuggling and counterfeiting, particularly in excisable goods, is unmatched in the world and so is the financial benefits derived by government authorities from these projects.

The Ukrainian passport produced by EDAPS was recognized by the ICAO (UN) and the OSCE as one of the best in the world, and the driving license produced by the consortium was given high praise by the European Union. EDAPS has some of the most modern and fully-certified facilities, including one of the largest production and outsourced personalization facilities for VISA and MasterCard payment cards.

SOURCE EDAPS Consortium