Diamonds Update

Gemesis Working on Other Colors of Synthetic Diamonds

Gemesis, the Florida-based synthetic diamond company, currently only produces the laboratory grown diamonds in yellow and orange colors.  The company is working on production techniques to produced pink and blue synthetic diamonds.  It hopes to have that process developed by the end of this year.  Gemesis is also working on process that would eventually allow it to grow white diamond crystals in the 5 to 10 carat range that are in greater demand worldwide.  These larger sized synthetic diamonds are probably at least three years away from commercial production.

Gemesis has recently updated their web site to provide educational information about their company and synthetic diamonds, including the jewelry brands carrying Gemesis Cultured Diamonds.

Check out my previous post entitled "Synthetic Diamonds or Diamond Simulants: Why the Confusion?"

Synthetic Diamonds or Diamond Simulants: Why the Confusion?

There seems to be a great deal of confusion about the words man-made, synthetic, simulated, and simulant as they related to diamonds.  I get regular questions about the differences from clients and visitors to my blog and website.  In addition, I see many articles written online that have added further confusion by incorrectly using the various terminologies.

One of the reasons for this confusion is that many of the companies that are selling fake diamonds purposely use misleading terminology in the descriptions of their products.  Many marketers work very hard to not say what their product really is (cubic zirconia for example) while making every effort to imply their product is just a different form of diamond.

The distinction starts with a basic fact:  Diamonds are diamonds and all other materials are not diamonds.  Diamond is one of the three natural forms (amorphous carbon, graphite, diamond) of the element carbon and has the following physical properties:

• Hardness of 10 as measured on the Mohs hardness scale
• Density averages 3.51
• Cleavage in 4 directions
• Refractive index is 2.4
• Dispersion is 0.044
• Luster index is 17.2%

There are two types of diamonds: natural diamonds and synthetic diamonds.

• Natural diamonds are mined from the earth and formed by nature.
• Synthetic diamonds are man-made in a laboratory using high pressure and high temperature.

Other terms used to describe synthetic diamonds include cultivated, cultured, man-made, Some of the brands of synthetic diamond include Apollo, Genesis, Adia Diamonds, New Age Diamonds, Tairus, and LifeGem, and Chatham. 

While natural diamond is typically used for jewelry, the lower quality stones are used for industrial purposes such as saw blades and drill tips.  Most synthetic diamonds are used for industrial purposes but as the brand name synthetics improve their products, increasing numbers of synthetic diamonds are now used for jewelry.

Diamond simulants are materials that look like diamonds but do not have the physical properties of diamonds.  These diamond simulants, also known as simulated diamonds, can be made by nature (white sapphire, quartz) or man-made (cubic zirconia, moissanite, glass, yttrium aluminum garnet).

The manufacturer and retailers of moissanite typically market it as a unique material, not to be confused with diamond.  While they often compare moissanite’s characteristics with diamond, the advertising is very specific that the material is moissanite.  That is not often the case with cubic zirconia.

Much of the confusion in recent years stems from the marketing of the various brands of cubic zirconia.  Every brand touts itself as the best diamond simulant while usually avoiding admitting the material is cubic zirconia.  As a result, the shopper who reads the advertising about these brands is not sure what material they are considering and often confuses them with synthetic diamond.  Just because cubic zirconia is man-made and therefore synthetic, does not make it synthetic diamond.  However, when you read the marketing literature on the various brands of cubic zirconia, it is obvious that those companies try to confuse shoppers into thinking they are some form of diamond.

Some of the more recognized brands of cubic zirconia are:

• Russian Brilliants
• Diamond Nexus
• Asha
• CARAT*
• Diamonique
• Van Graff
• Zironite

It is easy for a gemologist to determine the difference between diamonds (natural or synthetic) and diamonds simulants (fakes) but it is not so easy to determine the true type of material from the marketing ads.  I hope that the discussion above will help to sort through the misleading marketing descriptions.  It is important for consumers to understand the terminology so they can make an informed decision on what stone is correct for their particular requirements.

If you have questions about particular synthetic diamond or diamond simulant products, please leave a comment below.  I will research the produce and respond to your comments with whatever assistance I can provide.  If you have a question, chances are other consumers have the same question and we want to help shoppers avoid making expensive mistakes whether they are buying diamonds or diamond simulants.

GIA Synthetic-Diamond Grading Report

In June, the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) informed the World Diamond Congress in Tel Aviv, Israel that the GIA Laboratory intended to grade synthetic diamonds.  There was overwhelming agreement by the diamond industry that synthetic diamonds should be graded so that consumers would receive proper disclosure when the lab-grown diamonds enter the marketplace.  However, there has been months of heated debate over what language should be used to described synthetic diamonds.

The producers of synthetic diamonds feared consumers would perceive the word “synthetic” to be the same as fake or simulated diamonds.  The providers of natural diamonds wanted language that would clearly differentiate lab-grown diamonds from diamonds mined from the earth.

The GIA’s new Synthetic Colored Diamond Grading Report clearly identifies the diamond as laboratory-grown and refers to the man-made origin four times.  The new report also uses grading terminology to describe color and clarity that is different than is used for natural diamonds on their traditional reports.

The GIA instead will laser inscribe "laboratory grown" on diamonds produced in a lab that do not already have an inscription with Federal Trade Commission-approved language such as "man-made," "lab grown" and branded names such as "Chatham created.”  The producers of synthetic diamonds have stated that all their diamonds will be laser inscribed with some type of synthetic nomenclature but the GIA will ensure that all synthetic diamonds will be laser inscribed with proper disclosure.

The GIA Laboratory will begin accepting lab-grown diamonds for grading using the new reports on January 1, 2007.

IGI Laboratory-Grown Diamond Grading Report

After decades of researching synthetic diamonds, The International Gemological Institute (IGI) has implemented their new Laboratory-Grown Diamond Grading System.  The IGI has been developing and testing the system for more than a year.

The new grading report has a different format compared to the IGI’s grading reports for natural polished diamonds.  The report provides an explanation and definition of synthetic diamonds and specifically identifies the type of synthetic origin. IGI requires that all synthetic diamonds it grades this way have the laser inscription containing the words “Laboratory-Grown.”

The purpose of using the term laboratory-grown and the information on synthetic diamonds on the new reports is the IGI’s attempt to better educate consumers and provide accurate and reliable product information on the lab-grown diamonds entering the marketplace.

Laboratory-Grown Diamonds: EGL USA Update

The terms “synthetic” and “cultured” have been so widely used in the marketing of man-made diamonds that the many consumers do understand the difference between these laboratory-grown diamonds and natural diamonds.  In an effort to be clear about the proper disclosure and communication of the synthetic origin of these diamonds, the EGL USA group has revised their diamond grading reports. 

• The EGL now uses the term “laboratory-grown” to disclose the synthetic origin of the diamond.
• EGL USA gemological reports for synthetic diamonds have a new gray color theme to distinguish them from the dark blue scheme for natural diamonds.
• Synthetic diamonds have a mandatory laser inscription that includes the term “lab-grown” (or its equivalent), the manufacturer (if known) and the EGL USA report number.
• The back cover of the new synthetic report features information about the different synthetic manufacturing processes, detection techniques, and grading methods.
• The report identifies the type of synthetic origin: High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT) or Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD).
• The report identifies the color origin: As Grown or Enhanced (HPHT or irradiation)
• The report contains an identification section that indicates long-wave and short-wave fluorescence, microscopic features, and diamond type.

From the time that HPHT treated diamonds entered the gemstone marketplace in 1999, the EGL USA has continued research efforts to develop reliable detection and identification procedures for HPHT diamonds.

Synthetic diamonds threaten industry

Synthetic diamonds are a reality and a challenge to the natural diamond industry, a De Beers official noted at the International Diamond Conference held in Windhoek on Wednesday.

Varda Shine, who is the Sales Director at the Diamond Trading Centre (DTC), said her company had formulated ways to counter the challenge posed to their operations by the manmade gems.

She said De Beers - the world's largest diamond trader - was currently using the systems of differentiation, detection and disclosure for the consumers to know what type of diamond they were purchasing and to ward off confusion.

Shine said that natural diamonds were special to many customers because they encompassed an aura of mystery and history, among other features.

She added that with technology developing, the synthetics industry was bound to grow and would pose a bigger challenge to natural diamonds as time goes on.

Gem-quality synthetic diamonds have entered the jewellery market in recent years and the technology used to create them is improving rapidly.

Traders, dealers and customers are not able to distinguish the difference between natural diamonds and the ones created in a laboratory with the naked eye.

Israeli diamond merchant Lev Leviev, who is also the Chairman of LLD Diamonds, told the gathering that at the end of the last century, the African diamond-producing nations had slipped from their pole position of being leading suppliers due to new developments.

Leviev said new sources, including synthetic diamonds, were becoming a target for investors.

According to a mining engineering website, (www.min-eng.com) synthetic diamonds have been manufactured in production plants for many years now and production reportedly now runs at more than 100 tonnes per year.

Learn more about synthetic diamonds at http://www.diamondsourceva.com/Education/ArtificialDiamonds/synthetic-diamonds.asp

Lab Says it Makes D Flawless Diamonds, But Does it?

A company from Franklin, Wisconsin, Diamond Nexus Labs, claims to make colorless and flawless "lab-created diamonds", offered for $79 a carat. This is an attractive proposition. However a closer examination reveals that they are misrepresenting themselves in their address to the public.

The DTC, in its recent Consumer Confidence campaign, is promoting the three D's. One of the D's, Disclosure, is not all together clear when it gets to the offer made by Diamond Nexus Labs. It claims in its latest marketing effort that "Laboratory breakthrough creates ideal man made diamonds".

In the opening paragraph of its press release from this morning (Monday) Diamond Nexus Labs says "Gemologists agree that Diamond Nexus Labs lab-created diamonds are glittering and brilliant because they come closer than any other gem material to matching, often besting the characteristics of mined diamonds."

"For serious consideration, Diamond Nexus Labs manufactured diamonds must be compared by using the same properties evaluations as the mined diamond industry," and goes on to discuss the Four C's, claiming "Diamond Nexus Labs cultured diamonds are always pristine clear transparent "Ds".

However the proposed lab made diamonds are not that at all and that is not clear until visiting the company's website where it states that they make diamond simulants.  But while this statement appears below the company name, even when reading 'The Science Behind The Breakthrough' page on the site, it is not completely clear that the company is not making diamonds of the kind that Gemesis does.

Will it be understood by an average consumer that this is not a lab made diamond but rather a simulate? "The importance of full disclosure is paramount," says De Beers' spokeswoman Lynette Hori.

"Diamonds are a significant emotional and financial investment and when consumers are buying them they need to be able to trust the entire buying process and not feel misled in any way. 

"…People will only continue to buy diamond jewelry if they have confidence in the product," she adds. "Therefore, giving the consumer complete and correct information about the product is crucial to maintaining consumer confidence," she emphasizes.

"Full disclosure entails a commitment to proactive and full declaration of all treatments, Synthetics and Simulants.  It is essential to make sure that people do not buy a Synthetic, Simulant or Treated Diamond believing it to be a diamond."

Robert Joseph from Diamond Nexus Labs said in response: "The banner on the home page of our web site says “diamond-simulant gemstones” at the top in big letters.  Anyone writing an article (who surely would visit our site if they were the least bit diligent) or visiting our site cannot possible miss that.

"We have no confusion from our customers who know what that they are buying upfront, and have a money-back guarantee if they are not satisfied with their purchases.  We make no effort or pretense into making people think we are selling mined diamonds.  Our merchandise is an alternative to those on a tighter budget or who don’t want to spend the money for mined diamonds."

Learn more about other forms of Simulated Diamonds...

Discover the difference between Simulated Diamonds and Synthetic Diamonds

Learn more about Diamond Nexus, a brand of Cubic Zirconia...

Laboratory Breakthrough Creates Ideal Man Made Diamonds

Gemologists agree that Diamond Nexus Labs lab-created diamonds are glittering and brilliant because they come closer than any other gem material to matching, often besting the characteristics of mined diamonds.

They are so ostensibly close to mined diamonds that only a trained eye can differentiate the two, often requiring a microscope or loupe, picking out the mined diamond by its blemishes (inclusions). Consequently, many jewelers must use scientific testing equipment to make the distinction. Most people, even trained gemologists, cannot tell the difference with the naked eye.

For serious consideration, Diamond Nexus Labs manufactured diamonds must be compared by using the same properties evaluations as the mined diamond industry—The Legendary Four C's:

Color: The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) appoints color classifications of “D” through “Z.” Colorless diamonds, “Ds,” are extremely scarce in nature and they are representative of the peak of color grades—slight tints of yellow make diamonds less rare, grades “J,” “K,” “L,” & “M.” Diamond Nexus Labs cultured diamonds are always pristine clear transparent “Ds.”

Clarity: This is the degree to which a diamond is free of inclusions that hamper luminosity. Virtually every mined diamond has some internal or external structural flaws. Diamond Nexus Labs man made diamonds simply do not, and meet the rigorous standards of first-class quality.

Cut: The art of diamond cutting has been refined to precise mathematical formulas. A good cut is determined by its light reflecting properties and its light dispersion. The cut actually refers to two separate aspects of a diamond's appearance: (1) shape, and (2) quality of workmanship. Diamond Nexus Labs' synthetic diamonds are precision cut perfectly to the optimum number of facets.

Carat-weight: The size of a diamond is measured in carats; one aspect in the cost of a mined diamond is size. Price is also determined by the Color, Clarity, and Cut—the greater the quality, the higher the per-carat price. Small mined diamonds are more abundant that large ones, so bigger stones command a great per-carat price. A 3-carat diamond of similar quality could be priced 20 times that of a 1-carat diamond. Diamond Nexus Labs flawless man made diamonds are all the same low price per carat. Size never influences the per-carat price!

To see a free comparison chart on how Diamond Nexus Labs man made diamonds stack up against mined diamonds and send an mail to freechart"at"diamondnexuslabs.com and just type Free Chart followed by your first name in the subject line, or visit http://www.diamondnexuslabs.com

Learn more about sythetic diamonds at http://www.diamondsourceva.com/Education/ArtificialDiamonds/synthetic-diamonds.asp

De Beers sees less threat from fake diamonds

A competitive threat posed to the diamond sector by synthetic gems may be neutralised as the artificial stones become more useful -- and more valuable -- in the electronics industry, an executive of the diamond giant De Beers said on Tuesday.

The prospect that firms could flood jewellery markets with cheap, look-alike synthetic diamonds has been lurking in the background as a possible threat for years, but Jonathan Oppenheimer told a mining conference in Cape Town that the future looked brighter now.

"Synthetics is a terrifying prospect for the natural diamond industry," he said. "They are a potential threat, but entirely manageable."

Research is now focusing on using synthetic diamonds as a base substance in semiconductors in the electronics industry, Oppenheimer said.

"That is very exciting, that is something that I believe a whole bunch of people...are pursing vigorously and a huge amount of money is being spent in research laboratories around the world to perfect that. Not a lot of money is going into possible jewellery substitutes," he said.

"What I am hoping , and we're very much involved in the synthetic diamond business, is that the synthetic value proposition will move synthetic diamonds to higher value products than jewellery."

Oppenheimer, who heads the South African unit of De Beers, said the company was also confident that detection systems would always be able to differentiate between manufactured diamonds and natural ones.

"We feel very confident as a company that synthetic diamonds are 100 percent detectable," he said.

De Beers, which is the world's biggest diamond producer and controls nearly half the world's supply, is 45 percent owned by Anglo American with the Oppenheimer family the other major shareholder.

Learn more about synthetic diamonds at http://www.diamondsourceva.com/Education/ArtificialDiamonds/synthetic-diamonds.asp

Synthetic New Age Diamonds is Expanding Capacities

Due to a large number of requests from wholesalers, retailers and jewelers New Age Diamonds had received since its first entry to the world market, company has decided to expand production in all categories. Market demand brings some new ideas and accents. In colors - all tints of orange from light yellow to vivid canary, that are very attractive to customers. When it comes to the weight range, there is quite a strong interest in diamonds from 1/4 ct to 1+ ct.

New Age Diamonds is determined to increase the volume of production by bringing some new equipment into operation. In order to make all contacts with dealers and representatives more efficient, the company management is considering a possibility of organizing some affiliates on territories close to prospective customers. Currently, New Age Diamonds is choosing the reliable and serious partners from already existing and interested in that kind of collaboration companies. Each of these new branches might be specialized in one specific category such as new colors or bigger sizes. Recent experience of New Age Diamonds on the world market shows an ultimate economical effectiveness of such strategy.

Mr. Shulepov, President of New Age Diamonds, said -
"We plan to perform the following important economical actions:
- launching of new capacities in the beginning of year 2006
- having intensive advertising, promotional and marketing campaigns to support the brand
- increasing volume of productions month by month
- paying special attention to the most prospective destinations such as developing of new tints of pink (from light to deep red), diamonds of 2+cts
- cutting fantasy shapes for modern designs".

Such promising perspectives make New Age Diamonds ready to have a business dialog with potential investors in order to find a respectable and stable partner for prosperous future. Mr. Shulepov is currently negotiating with some North American and European companies that expressed their interest in such a cooperation. Many years of experience and reliable scientific background definitely gives a decided advantage to overcome all expanding-related problems in short terms.

For more information: http://www.newagediamonds.com

Learn more about synthetic diamonds at http://www.diamondsourceva.com/Education/ArtificialDiamonds/synthetic-diamonds.asp