The Global Innovation Centre – operated by Element Six, a company that falls under the De Beers Group banner – will be used for the research and development of synthetic diamonds for industrial purposes like electronics and oil and gas drilling equipment.
Given the increasing prominence of lab-created diamonds within the jewellery industry, Jeweller went to the source to ascertain what impact, if any, the new facility would have on diamond-sellers.
Element Six head of group marketing Andrew Basham stated that the centre would have no jewellery-related function.
“I can confirm that the innovation centre is not involved in any way with any type of activity other than the design and development of innovative synthetic diamond materials for industrial purposes,” he said.
Basham added that the company had no intention to participate in any gem synthetics business.
“We are a global leader in the design, development and production of synthetic diamond supermaterials for industry and this is where we are solely focused.”
Element Six will employ more than 100 staff members at the 5,000m² facility in Harwell, Oxfordshire, and reportedly will consolidate its global innovation teams into one integrated centre.
The company has manufacturing facilities in the US, China, Germany, Sweden, UK and South Africa.
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