De Beers is confident that its technology detects all synthetic diamonds. During a correspondence with Rapaport, De Beers head of technologies, Dr. Simon Lawson, refuted claims by Yossi Kuzi of EGL Hong Kong that De Beers DiamondSure™ and DiamondView™ systems did not detect a synthetic type IaAB diamond. Lawson further stated that, “De Beers extensive research into heat treatment of synthetic diamond material gives us confidence that pure type IaAB synthetics cannot be produced.”
In communication with Rapaport, the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) supported De Beers statement and the efficacy of its equipment. “We felt the stone shown was likely natural so we are in full support of the De Beers response,” said Tom Moses, GIA’s senior vice-president of laboratory and research.
The statements by De Beers and GIA dismiss a February 17, 2014 press release by Diamond Services, a Hong Kong-based diamond company associated with EGL Asia. The press release claimed that Diamond Services’ newly developed DiamaTest™ machine detected a synthetic type IaAB diamond that was not detected by the De Beers technology.
“Recently, we acquired a parcel of synthetic diamonds from one of the growers for research purposes,” Kuzi said. “One of the stones in the parcel, a 0.138-carat stone, turned out to be a type IaAB synthetic diamond. The DiamaTest machine easily identified it as synthetic. However, the [De Beers] DiamondSure identified it as a natural stone!”
[two_third]In a formal response, De Beers said that based on its extensive research over many years, it is confident that pure type IaAB synthetics cannot be produced. The nitrogen aggregation sequence that leads to the production of a pure type IaAB natural diamond cannot be exactly replicated in a laboratory and there is a good theoretical and experimental understanding of why this is the case. The algorithm used within the DiamondSure machines takes account of the possibility of heat treatments being applied to synthetics and refers such stones for further testing, the company explained (download and read De Beers full technical explanation).[/two_third][one_third_last]
“It is vital that technology to detect synthetics remains ahead of the curve. “
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