Under the new agreement, the International Institute of Diamond Grading and Research (IIDGR), a division of De Beers Group of companies, will provide its Automated Melee Sorting (AMS) machines to the Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) for the detection of synthetic diamonds.
These machines will be operated by the Diamond Detection and Resource Centre (DDRC), which is part of the Gemmological Institute of India (GII), in the Bharat Diamond Bourse (BDB) premises. The DDRC is sponsored by the GJEPC and BDB.
As reported previously by Jeweller, instances of undisclosed mixing of synthetic and natural diamonds appear to be increasing around the world, including India. The GJEPC and BDB are currently investigating two cases and the businesses affected have been directed to file complaints.
Such reports are obviously damaging, and given that India is the largest supplier of diamonds to Australia and New Zealand there are legitimate implications to the local industry. It is hoped that these machines will help provide peace of mind that suppliers are not misrepresenting their products.
The AMS machines can rapidly detect synthetic stones in parcels of small diamonds ranging from 0.01 to 0.20 carats in a cost effective manner. Not only does this address the issue of detection of smaller sized diamonds, but it is also said to make it financially viable for smaller traders.