During the week of 4th March, the cover story in the March issue of IDEX Magazine discussed, among other things, the danger that undisclosed, melee-sized synthetic diamonds pose to the diamond supply pipeline. If jewelry manufacturers, designers and retailers lose confidence in the supply of natural melees because they cannot be sure if they are indeed natural, what will that signify for the entire supply pipeline – from miner to consumer? Keep an eye out for the magazine. It will make for interesting and eye-opening reading.
Meanwhile, another, new argument has developed regarding synthetic or lab-grown diamonds (LGDs).
De Beers announced recently that – contrary to other manufacturers and distributors of LGDs – it would not seek to record, disclose or share information about any possible treatments that the LGDs set in their Lightbox jewelry products were subjected to. Also, De Beers opposes the grading of LGDs. This, they argue, because LGDs are a manufactured product. All LGDs need at the end of the manufacturing process is a ‘fail’ or a’ pass,’ just like any other product.
Sally Morrison, marketing manager of Lightbox Jewelry confirmed that position in an email.
“We think it’s a mistake to take the logic of natural diamonds and apply it to this product. We believe it’s a different thing and this approach is just not relevant. In terms of the question of grading, the inherent quality of a natural stone is a key determinant of its value because it establishes its relative rarity. However, a lab-grown diamond is a manufactured product which, by definition, is not rare, since it can be made over and over again. Quality is controllable, based on the effectiveness of the production process,” Morrison wrote.
