When was Yehuda founded and how has the company developed over time?Zvi Yehuda Ltd was founded by my father, Mr Zvi Yehuda and his father Ben Zion Yehuda in 1953 in Israel. Yehuda Diamond Company – an associated company – was founded in New York in 1988 by myself and my brother Roni Yehuda. What have been the biggest achievements in the company’s history?Wow – that’s like asking a parent which kid he loves the most! The ones which I believe stand out were all invented by my dad, Zvi Yehuda, who was completely self-taught. He was himself the son of a diamond manufacturer, so we have very strong ties to this industry that go back generations. The first invention that I think was very significant was the laser drilling of diamonds in order to take out the black piques, which he created in 1965. Next, in 1977, was the rough diamond colorimeter, which predicts the colour of a rough diamond once the stone is cut. Before that, people would just guess! Five years later came the Yehuda Clarity Enhancement Process. This process hides fractures – called feather inclusions – in a diamond by inserting a minute amount of material that has the same refractive index as the diamond into the fracture. Thus making it invisible– it is still there but you just can’t see it after the process. This allows us to cut much larger stones than other companies as we don’t need to cut to remove inclusions. All the extra size, weight and beauty can be enjoyed by the consumer at no extra cost. Finally, in 2017 we created the Sherlock Holmes detector for CVD and HPHT lab grown diamonds. How big is the company today?We have offices in Tel Aviv, New York and Antwerp, and agents in Mumbai, Italy and Hong Kong. What are the core values of Yehuda? What sets your company apart from others?Our main rule is always to be different. Always lead and be innovative. Throughout our history we have always found ways to improve and use technology to create the best product. If we could not set ourselves apart, we would not be here! We deal in natural diamonds, Yehuda clarity-enhanced diamonds, lab-grown diamonds and technology for diamonds. In each area we do things differently than the others. We always try to be different and lead the pack. We also have a long history and a proud heritage, as we are a family company with several generations working within the business. Why did Yehuda decide to create synthetic diamond detectors?The need was there from the first day they became available. If the industry cannot distinguish between natural and lab-grown diamonds, it could be the end of the diamond industry as it will not be trusted anymore. Trust is key for our industry and it is on the line here. We understood that we needed to make a detector that was very accurate and not too expensive at the same time. We were able to come up with the most accurate detector and the most affordable one. We figured that the only way to protect this industry is to enable the whole supply chain to have it – now dealers, wholesalers, manufacturers, appraisers and jewellery stores can protect themselves with the Sherlock Holmes Detector for CVD and HPHT lab-grown diamonds. Why should retailers invest in a synthetic diamond detector?For every reason I’ve mentioned: keep yourself at the forefront of our industry, make sure you sell what you think you sell, and protect your name, your reputation and your customers. If you buy from the public or take in a repair, save the future accusations and check everything with Sherlock. Sherlock is your best friend. What are the most important attributes for a retailer when purchasing a detector?The Sherlock Holmes was found by the Diamond Producers’ Assocation’s Project ASSURE to detect 100 per cent of lab-grown diamonds tested. The Sherlock Holmes is easy to use – it’s user-friendly and fast, and it is lightweight, at 2.5kg, and portable. It can check individual stones, large parcels, jewellery pieces and multiple rings together. It detects simulants like loose moissanites and cubic zirconia, even if they are coated with a diamond layer, and the results can be sent by email or Bluetooth and saved in your Google Drive. The price is only US$6,495. |