SYNTHETIC DIAMOND AND IDENTIFICATION | Identifying Lab-Grown Diamonds
Below some Research articles
Synthetic diamond identification courses
Simon Lawson – Synthetic diamond and its identification – Basel, Switzerland_22-Mar-2015
Gem-quality synthetic diamonds are more available in today’s jewelry marketplace than ever before, causing both interest and concern among jewelers about the material’s nature and whether it can be identified by gemologists or gemological labs.
What are Synthetic Diamonds?
Synthetic Diamonds, also known as lab-grown, man-made, artificial, cultivated, created, or cultured diamonds, are diamonds which are produced through the High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT) method or the Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) method. They have an identical chemical composition and crystal structure and an almost-identical physical and optical properties of natural diamonds.
When diamonds form, whether natural or man-made, they absorb materials from their surroundings and develop internal and external marks. These identifying features were primarily used to identify natural diamonds from synthetic. This is no longer the case as the production process has improved greatly over the past few years. Synthetic diamonds are made through controlled processes intended to minimize imperfections, producing diamonds with better clarity. Correct identification can only be done through advanced gemological testing.
How are Synthetic Diamonds Graded?
All diamonds whether colourless or fancy coloured, natural or man-made, are graded based on the 4C’s:
Carat; Clarity; Color and Cut.
The process of grading synthetic diamonds is the same as natural diamonds. The only difference is the color and clarity which have a broader range.
The Color Scale has five categories:
Colorless, Near Colorless, Faint, Very Light, and Light and
The Clarity Scale has six categories:
Flawless, Internally Flawless, Very Very Slightly Included, Very Slightly Included, Slightly Included, and Included.
Synthetic Diamonds are as real as the natural diamonds and are more affordable. They have a place in the market as long as they are properly disclosed at the time of sale” Dr James Shigley a GIA distinguished research
Latest Technology to help with the Identification/separation of Natural Diamonds from Synthetic Diamonds
The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) has developed a portable instrument – GIA iD100 – that separates natural diamonds from synthetic diamonds as well as Cubic Zirconias and Synthetic Moissianite. It is designed to be used on loose and set stones. For more information about the GIA iD100, check out their website at www.gia.edu/id100
How to use the GIA iD100
· Turn on the GIA iD100
· Press “Calibrate” on the touch screen
· Place the needle point on the stone to illuminate it
· You will see and hear one of two words “PASS” or “REFER”
“PASS” means that it is a natural diamond and “REFER” means that the stone is not a natural diamond or more tests need to be performed
· Repeat steps 3 and 4 if there are more stones to be tested
Recently another instrument has been created which can also separate natural diamonds from all synthetics and imitants.
Unlike the GIA iD100, the SYNTHdetect developed by The International Institute of Diamond Grading & Research (IIDGR), a De Beers Group company, tests multiple gemstones in set jewelry at once without the need for a probe. For more information about the SYNTHdetect, check out the DeBeers group website.
De Beers announced on Tuesday June 29, 2018 it would use Opsydia to mark lab-grown diamonds for its new synthetic-stone venture, Lightbox Jewelry.
A University of Oxford spinout has created laser technology that tackles counterfeiting of diamonds by placing a permanent mark on stones.
Opsydia uses high-precision lasers to etch imprints — such as numbers or logos — smaller than one-50th the size of a human hair below the surface of a diamond. Because of their placement inside the diamond, the laser etchings cannot be polished off.
The technology works by applying laser pulses, shorter than one trillionth of a second in length, and shot over a million times per second, to a diamond. The markings require a microscope to view them and don’t affect the stone’s grading.
