Gemological labs wary of losing business, consumer confidence; Labs deny

[PinkDiamond]

The Times of India reports that diamond testing machines can't detect HPHT created diamonds at room temperature if they're irradiated to produce colored diamonds. But right after reading that, I read an article about the labs refuting that claim, so I'll follow the Indian Times article with the one with the labs statements claiming that they can detect them. What this tells me is if you're buying colored diamonds, be sure to have them tested, and maybe even at more than one lab. Oh joy.

Gemological labs wary of losing business, consumer confidence
tnn | Apr 27, 2018, 04:00 IST

Surat: Some of the world’s leading gemological laboratories are rattled after a Hong Kong-based diamond technology company argued that certain diamond detection devices fail to spot the laboratory-grown diamonds created using high pressure-high temperature (HPHT).
In a trade alert last week to jewellers and diamond traders, Diamond Services argued that the treatment, generally used to alter the colour of a stone, can mask the phosphorescence effect when diamonds created using HPHT undergo scanning at room temperature.

Research conducted by Diamond Services revealed that once an HPHT-grown synthetic diamond is subjected to irradiation, it no longer will phosphoresce at room temperature, meaning that it is unlikely to be screened out by many of the popularly used detection devices available today in the industry.

The gemological laboratories, including De Beers Group’s International Institute of Diamond Grading and Research (IIDGR) and Gemological Institute of America (GIA), have been selling millions of dollars worth of synthetic diamond detection equipment in the world, including Surat and Mumbai, every year. These gemological laboratories had launched a range of diamond detector machines worth thousands of dollars.

Industry sources said each and every client of De Beers has all the ranges of diamond detection machines to test diamond lots. Even jewellery retailers, who are working under the brand ‘Forevermark’, too, have to purchase the equipment to test jewellery articles studded with diamonds.

The Hong-Kong based company’s revelation has rattled the gemological laboratories as this may create a negative impact on their business prospects as well on consumers of diamond jewellery.


In its statement to TOI, ..."
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/cit ... 931856.cms


Labs Refute Claims HPHT Escaping Detection
Apr 25, 2018 6:13 AM By Leah Meirovich



"RAPAPORT... Major gemological laboratories have rebuffed claims that detection machines are failing to spot synthetic diamonds that have undergone irradiation.

In a trade alert last week, Diamond Services argued that the treatment, generally used to alter the color of a stone, can mask the phosphorescence effect when diamonds created using High Pressure-High Temperature (HPHT) undergo scanning at room temperature.

While detection machines can often identify HPHT diamonds because they phosphoresce — or glow — under ultra-violet light, certain devices fail to spot some of those stones that have been subject to irradiation, the Hong Kong-based diamond-technology company argued.

However, De Beers and the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) have denied the impact of such a phenomenon on their machines’ ability to sift out HPHT synthetics.

“The International Institute of Diamond Grading and Research (IIDGR) confirms that ... "
http://www.diamonds.net/News/NewsItem.a ... +Detection