Launched by De Beers’ International Institute of Diamond Grading and Research (IIDGR), Synthdetect was unveiled at the JCK Las Vegas trade show in June and is now available for jewellers.
According to an IIDGR statement, Synthdetect is the only synthetic screening machine designed specifically for jewellery retailers, allowing them to quickly and easily determine the authenticity of diamonds purchased.
The device uses the IIDGR’s patented luminescence technology to simultaneously screen diamonds in a range of jewellery pieces including rings, earrings, bracelets and necklaces without the use of a probe.
It is said to use the ‘unique’ approach of detecting natural stones rather than synthetics, which means that only approximately 0.05 per cent of diamonds are referred for further testing.
The IIDGR statement noted that this was the lowest rate in the industry, with other screening products sending up to 10 per cent of stones for additional investigation.
Industry reception
IIDGR president Jonathan Kendall said the device had gained “significant” interest since it was unveiled three months prior.
“We have already received pre-orders from many of the world’s leading jewellery retailers, demonstrating a strong desire from the industry for a device that allows them to quickly and easily screen diamonds at their own premises,” Kendall said.
“With the industry’s lowest referral rate, Synthdetect dramatically reduces the need for additional off-site testing, making it the ideal solution for retailers and jewellery manufacturers.”
Deliveries for the device would begin this month.
As previously reported by Jeweller, a number of synthetic diamond detection systems have been developed in the past few years, including the Gemological Institute of America’s (GIA) ‘mounted gem testing device’.
Like the IIDGR system, the GIA’s machine has also been designed for jewellery retailers and is expected to be available by the end of 2017.
The IIDGR, which was established by De Beers in 2008, is a grading services and equipment provider for the global diamond industry. It has offices in Antwerp, Surat and Maidenhead in the UK.
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