Recall Register

GIA Instruments Recalls Polariscopes Due to Shock Hazard

CPSC recall 08603. Recall date: . Last publish date of the CPSC notice: .

Hazard, in the words of CPSC

The polariscopes can have a ground wire missing, posing a risk of electrical shock to the user.

Remedy, in the words of CPSC

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled product and contact GIA Instruments to schedule a free retrofit of the Polariscope with a ground wire. GIA is notifying all consumers directly.

CPSC recall 08603 has the recall date 28 Aug 2008. The notice names a person as the firm, and this site does not show the name. The recall has about 8,000 units. The median CPSC recall of 2008 has 9,500 units. This register puts the recall under the hazard Electric shock. CPSC gives the product type Polariscopes.

CPSC recall noticeMore of the notice

Federal law prohibits any person from selling products subject to a Commission ordered recall or a voluntary recall undertaken in consultation with the CPSC.

CPSC publishes these words. Source: CPSC recall notices, section About the U.S. CPSC, read on . The hazard, the remedy and the incident text on this site are the words of the CPSC recall notice. Newest CPSC recall on the register: .

More of the notice

The hazard and the remedy are at the top of the page. Each quotation is the text of CPSC.

CPSC recall 08603: incidents, units, products and firms
Incidents and injuries
GIA has received four reports of consumers experiencing minor electric shock.
Units8,000
Description
The recalled polariscopes are white in color with model number 415000 or 415 printed on the underside of the instrument. A polariscope is an instrument used by gemologists to assist in gem identification.
ProductIlluminator Polariscopes 415000 and 415, About 8,000, Polariscopes
Sold atGIA schools, GIA's Web site, product catalogs, distributors and trade shows nationwide from January 1996 through June 2007 for between $255 and $340.
FirmThe CPSC notice gives the name of a person as the firm. This site does not show the names of persons.
Made inUnited States

Recall notice: The page that CPSC publishes for one recall of a consumer product. It states the product, the hazard, the remedy and the incidents.

Hazard: The way a product can cause harm, in the words of the CPSC recall notice. This site also puts each recall under short hazard names.

Remedy: What the manufacturer or the firm does about a recalled product. The agency record states the remedy of each recall.

Units: The number of vehicles or products that a recall can include. The manufacturer or the firm reports the number to the agency.

The recall in context

Units in this recall
8,000Median of 2008: 9,500
CPSC recalls of 2008
392
Recalls of 2008 with one of the same hazards
5%
Recalls of 2008 in the category Polariscopes
0%

Official channels

Cite this page

Recall Register. CPSC recall 08603. https://recallregister.com/product/4640-gia-instruments-recalls-polariscopes-due-to-shock-hazard/. Source: CPSC Recall Retrieval Web Services. Data through .

Sources

Source
US Consumer Product Safety Commission
Licence
US government work, public domain
Data retrieved
30 Sep 2026
Newest CPSC recall on the register
24 Sep 2026

The CPSC notice is the authority. The hazard names come from the hazard text of CPSC. The category is the product type that CPSC gives. How the register is made. Report an error.

Questions

Does CPSC recall 08603 report injuries?
The CPSC notice says: GIA has received four reports of consumers experiencing minor electric shock.
Where was the product sold?
The CPSC notice says: GIA schools, GIA's Web site, product catalogs, distributors and trade shows nationwide from January 1996 through June 2007 for between $255 and $340.
How many units are in CPSC recall 08603?
The CPSC notice gives this number: About 8,000
Where was the product made?
The CPSC notice gives: United States