OCTOBER 11, 2006 - Carlsbad, Calif. -- The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) will begin accepting synthetic diamonds for grading next year, but the question remains over what the grading reports will look like. In an interview with National Jeweler, GIA Chairman Ralph Destino shed some light on the reports, which he says are in the process of being designed.
One major change from the initial announcement the GIA made in June is that the word "synthetic" will not be inscribed on the girdle of lab-produced stones the GIA grades. The GIA instead will inscribe "laboratory grown" on diamonds produced in a lab that do not already have an inscription with Federal Trade Commission-approved language, Destino says. This includes such terms as "man-made," "lab grown" and branded names such as "Chatham created."
"The producers tell us that the stones they're going to be sending will be pre-inscribed, so this may be a moot point in time, but if nothing is there, we will inscribe 'laboratory grown,'" Destino says.
In terms of other details, Destino says the reports will look different from a natural-diamond report , and that the report cover will read "GIA Grading Report" and bear a yellow stripe. But he would not elaborate on specific language such as "synthetic" and how it will or won't be used in the final reports.
Destino says the GIA met with stakeholders representing all sides of the issue for input on the grading reports, but that it was ensuring consumer confidence and avoiding consumer confusion, which served as a beacon to guide the GIA in the final look and feel of the reports.
"We can't confuse the public, and consumer confidence is the overriding issue in this industry now," he says. "We said to both sides of the issue that as sensitive as we are to their concerns, at the end of the day, GIA is still a scientific lab with a mission to benefit the public, and our final judgments will be based on that commitment and that mission."
That goal seems to have been accomplished, based on early feedback.
"The trade is very gratified that the GIA went the extra mile to consult with all concerned stakeholders on this issue before finalizing the synthetic report," says Jeff Fischer, president of the International Diamond Manufacturers Association. "While no interest group feels they achieved all they might have wished for, we believe the resulting report is fair and balanced."
Clark McEwen, COO of Gemesis, which produces colored diamonds in a lab, also registered satisfaction with the GIA's final call on the matter.
"Ultimately, the goal of the report is to protect the consumer and I believe that the GIA has accomplished this," he says. "It shouldn't be a marketing tool used to either promote or diminish the product. It's a report to inform and build consumer confidence."
Posted by: Megan - Diamond Ideals
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Most gemologists know that General Electric Co. created the first industrial-quality synthetic diamonds in 1955. What many gemologists don’t know is that the production of polycrystalline thin films of synthetic diamond actually predates this, beginning in 1952. For decades, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) polycrystalline synthetic diamond has been grown over substrates and used in a variety of industrial products. The lead article in this issue of Gems & Gemology describes the creation of single-crystal synthetic diamonds grown by Apollo Diamond Inc. using a CVD process. At first glance, this doesn’t seem so alarming. After all, gem-quality synthetic diamonds grown by the classic “belt” and BARS (high pressure/high temperature) techniques have been around for decades, and have been available commercially (although in very small quantities and sizes and, for the most part, in yellow colors) since the mid-1980’s. Put simply, however, CVD-grown synthetic diamond generally is a purer product than commercial synthetic diamonds created by high pressure/high temperature techniques, and the CVD synthetics typically fall on the D-to-Z scale or are “brownies.” In addition, in most cases sophisticated analytical equipment must be used to conclusively identify the material. After Apollo Diamond begins commercial production of CVD synthetic diamond in 2004, it will be vital for every practicing gemologist to understand the challenges that the material may pose to identification. The producer has stated that, initially, 5,000–10,000 carats of faceted CVD synthetic diamond will be available. Most of these goods will be quarters and thirds, but by the end of 2004, stones as large as a full carat may be on the market. While larger sizes typically will be identified in a qualified laboratory, the fact that most diamonds under a carat are not sold with grading reports is cause for concern. The producers are unequivocal about their insistence on proper disclosure, and all indications to GIA certainly support that premise. But could these goods later be “salted” into parcels of natural diamonds by unscrupulous hands, fully intending to deceive their customers? Undoubtedly. Let us all remember that there is nothing inherently wrong with laboratory-grown products, provided they are properly disclosed at each stage of the distribution pipeline. Ultimately, though, the case for synthetic diamonds will not be played out in the trade per se, but rather in the marketplace and in the mind of the consumer. We all know that consumer confidence is the key to the success of the diamond industry. Anything that shakes that confidence will shake the market and, inevitably, the industry itself. The good news about synthetic diamonds is that, for the last two decades, we have stayed well ahead of the learning curve for identifying them, and I see no reason why this can’t continue. For much of this time, experts have debated whether diamonds grown synthetically would become commercially available in sizes, quantities, and prices that could fuel consumer demand for the product. The jury may still be out on these issues. However, it is inevitable, given the technology available today, that the right level of investment and the right long-term commitment to the product will result in commercially viable gem synthetic diamonds. Indeed, the time for readiness appears to be now. So what have we learned about synthetic diamonds over the past half century? We know that, while technology will provide the innovation necessary to create new and interesting products, this same technology will help fuel the identification of these products as well. Gemological research laboratories are making every effort to keep up with this technology, challenging as it may be, and to do everything they can to protect the public by properly identifying and disclosing gem-quality synthetic diamonds. William E. Boyajian, President Gemological Institute of America
Megan DiamondIdeals
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