GIA Foils Janitor’s Attempt to Keep a $250K 10-Carat Yellow Diamond Ring He Pocketed While Cleaning Red Carpet at the Golden Globes

The Gemological Institute of America has foiled an attempt by Golden Globes janitor Henry Bernal to keep a 10.62-carat yellow diamond ring he pocketed while cleaning the Red Carpet after the star-studded event in January.

The ring, which was lost by jewelry designer Lorraine Schwartz and is reportedly worth $250,000, slipped off during the pre-show Red Carpet festivities.

According to TMZ, instead of going to authorities with his find, Bernal decided to give the diamond ring to his girlfriend, Christina Gonzalez.

Curious to know the ring’s value, they took the show-stopping bauble to a local jeweler, who offered to buy it. The couple decided to get a formal evaluation of the stone from the Gemological Institute of America, and this is where their plan to keep the ring unraveled.

The world's foremost authority on diamonds, colored stones, and pearls contacted police after discovering that the 10-plus-carat diamond was already laser-inscribed and documented with a grading report by the GIA. The inscription included GIA’s logo and the serial number of the grading report.

Microscopic inscriptions are often etched as a security measure onto the girdle of better-quality diamonds of one carat or larger. The girdle is the thin facet on the widest part of the diamond, which separates the crown and the pavilion.

The inscriptions are not visible to the naked eye and have no negative effect on the quality or clarity of the diamond. The telltale inscription was obviously missed by Bernal and Gonzalez.

Now Bernal is facing a criminal investigation for failing to report his discovery to local authorities. He allegedly told police that he didn't turn the ring in because he doesn't trust law enforcement.

Schwartz, who has created engagement rings for A-listers, such as Beyonce and Kim Kardashian, originally told police that someone might have slipped the ring off her finger without her realizing it.

Now, legal documents obtained by TMZ make it clear that the ring slipped off by accident, and that Bernal just happened upon it while cleaning the carpet.

TMZ reported that the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Los Angeles Police Department and Beverly Hills Police Department are all on the case.