Gemological Science International (GSI) Spots New Method for Masking Synthetics
Gemological Science International (GSI) is urging extra diligence after receiving a lab-grown diamond bearing a treatment generally only found in natural stones.
“Diamond-growing technology continues to improve and growers are trying to mimic natural diamonds in every possible way,” GSI chief information officer Nick DelRe said Monday.
The organization’s Mumbai lab identified a synthetic stone that had been drilled into and given an inclusion using High Pressure-High Temperature (HPHT), which was then acid-bleached out.
The remnants of the inclusion strongly resembled laser-drill treatment, which is generally used to remove black inclusions from natural stones to enhance their appearance, but is highly unusual for lab-grown stones, GSI explained. The lab stressed that there was a common misconception in the industry that a diamond can be identified as natural or lab-grown based on inclusions. In this case, an examination that was not thorough could have led to the conclusion that the diamond was natural, because it contained a laser-drill channel.
“There are no recorded cases of lab-grown diamonds with this treatment, nor would it currently make sense to laser-drill these diamonds,” GSI noted. “It is important to use proper processes, equipment and expertise when identifying diamonds.”
Image: The laser-cut lab-grown diamond. (Gemological Science International)
Article courtesy of RAPAPORT
About The Author
Debbie Azar is the Co-Founder and President of Gemological Science International (GSI), one of the largest gemological organizations in the world, and a distinguished leader in the global diamond and jewelry industry. As an executive with extensive knowledge of the jewelry and gem lab industries, her entrepreneurial skills and vision have helped GSI achieve rapid and continuous growth worldwide, establishing 13 leading-edge gemological facilities on four continents. She currently serves on the boards of the Jewelers Vigilance Committee, Responsible Jewellery Council, and Jewelers for Children, and is a member of the 24 Karat Club of New York. She has been featured in Forbes, Daily Mail, Good Morning America, Bloomberg, Bloomberg Businessweek, Fox Business, Fox5, CBS2, BOLDTV, Varney&Co, The Street, and NASDAQ, among others.
