CIMA Adopts Sarine Light Performance Reports

Press Release: Singapore Exchange mainboard listed Sarin Technologies Ltd. (U77:SI), a worldwide leader in the development, manufacturing, marketing and sale of precision technology products and services for the planning, processing, measurement and evaluation of diamonds and gems, is pleased to announce that CIMA, publicly traded on the Japanese JASDAQ Exchange (7638:JP) and one of Japan’s leading bridal diamond jewelry chains, with annual sales in excess of $140 million, announced today that it is launching Sarine LightTM Light Performance grading reports for polished diamonds in all its stores throughout Japan.

The Sarine Light Light Performance grading reports, to be provided for all solitaire diamonds of a quarter carat and up, will initially be offered in CIMA’s two flagship stores in the Ginza district of Tokyo and will be rolled out nationwide immediately thereafter. Customers will be able to view the digital Light Performance reports of the offered diamonds on interactive tablets and follow a tutorial, which explains what Light Performance is and how it is graded, thus allowing consumers to compare diamonds of interest and make informed decisions based on clear and intuitive visual information.

CIMA, founded in 1994 by the Shiraishi family of art gallery fame, operates two store brands, GINZA DIAMOND SHIRAISHI and EXELCO DIAMOND, as brand concepts at prime locations in major cities throughout Japan. Thirty-four stores operate under the GINZA DIAMOND SHIRAISHI brand in major cities, including the original flagship store in Tokyo's Ginza district. An additional 20 stores operate under the EXELCO DIAMOND brand, where CIMA provides the premium "triple excellent" diamonds produced by EXELCO.

Headquartered in Antwerp, Belgium, EXELCO N.V. is a renowned company, specializing in the polishing of especially high-quality diamonds. EXELCO is currently run by industry luminary Jean-Paul Tolkowsky and Lior Kunstler. Tolkowsky is the seventh generation of the famous Tolkowsky dynasty, first established by Abraham Tolkowsky in Eastern Europe in 1800. Jean Paul is the son of one of the world’s best known master diamond cutters, Gabriel (Gabi) Tolkowsky and the great nephew of Marcel Tolkowsky, who invented, in 1919, the "ideal round-brilliant" cut.

Koei Shiraishi, the representative director and president of CIMA, said,  “CIMA has continuously been the trend setter in bridal diamond jewelry. We believe that being the first chain in Japan to offer our customers Light Performance, which provides clear, visual and informative information on the exceptional quality and beauty of the bridal diamond jewelry offered in our stores, is in keeping with our philosophy of being ‘the highest class.’ We further believe that Light Performance will enable us to differentiate ourselves from our competition and will bolster our core stance of proposing superior service, products and quality in our spirit of being the best. We have selected the Sarine LightTM, as we and EXELCO, our major supplier, for whom quality is the cornerstone of our businesses, believe it is ‘of the highest class’ in Light Performance assessment and grading systems, and comes from Sarin, the de-facto world standard for Cut grading systems.”

Uzi Levami, the CEO of Sarin, stated, "We are extremely honored that such an esteemed brand as CIMA has chosen us to be their supplier of Light Performance grading and has seen fit to offer their customers an enhanced buying experience based on our new state of the art accurate and consistent technology. We believe that CIMA’s customers will benefit from CIMA’s decision to empower their customers by unveiling the mystery and emphasizing the beauty of the polished diamond, thus even more enhancing the emotional experience associated with the selection of bridal diamond jewelry."

The business model is based on the generation of Light Performance grading reports with revenue derived on a per-report basis, thus adding to Sarin's  recurring revenue stream. The scanning and grading of CIMA’s polished diamonds will be done both at source at EXELCO and in Israel at our service center, with additional scanning to be done in Tokyo, as necessary. The Light Performance Grading Reports will be issued both in hard-copy format, embossed with the Sarine Light brand logo, as well as in digital format, which will also link to our stunning visual Light Performance tutorial.

About CIMA:
Established only in 1994, CIMA, through its focus on quality products and services, has already captured the leading share of the bridal diamond jewelry market in Japan. CIMA operates two store brands - GINZA DIAMOND SHIRAISHI and EXELCO DIAMOND, brand concepts at prime locations in major cities throughout Japan, currently operating 54 stores nationwide. CIMA boasts one of Japan's largest product line-ups, and its made-to-order system ensures all customers' needs are met with the highest level of satisfaction. Some 400 varieties of original diamond rings are available through their unique made-to-order system, providing customers with their ideal diamond ring using only carefully selected, Ideal Cut, Triple-EX and Hearts and Arrows diamonds, combined with superior design and craftsmanship. CIMA’s philosophy is to contribute to society through providing reliable products and satisfying services and to promote health and happiness by way of nurturing culture through promoting a highly refined aesthetic sense of style.

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