by Ann Arnold, CSO The BIG Network

Well Vegas 2017 is over, whew! Coming into Jewelry week, I think it is fair to say that many had very low expectations. The change of dates had many wary and unsure how that would affect the attendance, and many retailers told us they were not even attending. Well, what a pleasant surprise! Almost every vendor we spoke to told us they had a great show, and some even said “they knocked it out of the park”! This is so amazing on so many levels, but most importantly, we, as an industry, needed some positive energy, and we got it.

Besides all the amazing selling that was taking place and new product that was introduced, one of the big topics continued to be synthetic diamonds, and more specifically, how are we going to test and detect them. We found several companies that introduced diamond testers that would test not only loose stones, including melee, but mounted jewelry as well. As you may know, this has been a huge concern for retailers, since most of the jewelry they get is already mounted. Here are a few that we found:

GIA – GIA launched their sophisticated desktop instrument to reliably identify natural diamonds, separating them from all simulants and from diamonds that may be synthetic or treated.

The GIA mounted gem testing device combines advanced spectroscopic technology; GIA’s extensive research into the qualities of natural, treated and synthetic diamonds; and decades of diamond analysis experience to identify more than 97% of untreated natural mounted and un-mounted D-to-Z diamonds 0.9 mm or greater in diameter (approximately 0.005 carat).Diamonds that may be synthetic or treated and all simulants are referred for further examination and confirmation. Pricing starts at $5,000.

International Institute of Diamond Grading & Research (IIDGR), a De Beers Group company – SYNTHdetect:

This is a synthetic screening device designed to test multiple stones set in jewelry at once without the need for a probe. It has a referral rate at around 0.05 percent. It uses IIDGR’s patented luminescence technology to rapidly and simultaneously screen stones set in a wide range of jewelry pieces, including rings, earrings, bangles, broaches and necklaces. For more information, please click here (https://www.debeersgroup.com/en/news/company-news/company-news/iidgr-unveils-next-generation-synthetic-screening-instrument-for.html)

Yehuda – Yehuda HPHT Detector:

Their machine will reliably detect HPHT lab-grown diamonds in 5 seconds, mounted or un-mounted, in a large parcel of melee or as a single stone, among cut or uncut diamonds. Pricing starts at $1,495. For more information, please visit WWW.YEHUDA.COM

One thing is for sure, many retailers are realizing that they have to bring in something to start protecting and testing their product, both bought from the trade, or bought off the street. It’s probably time to make the investment to start protecting your store or brand.