Company Introduces Low Cost Lab-Made Diamond Identifier

As diamond traders continue to express concerns over undisclosed lab-made diamonds, a Hong Kong firm is offering a low cost way to identify them. Their solution is a $200 laser pen.


The device, a pen-shaped pointer called the DiamaPen will be introduced at this month's Hong Kong Gem & Jewellery Fair by Diamond Services Ltd.

The company says the device is highly accurate and can identify HPHT and CVD grown diamonds.

The DiamaPen uses the 405 nm wavelength for the operation of its laser beam.

Joseph Kuzi, owner and CEO of EGL Asia who tested the DiamaPen, said, "The detection of fancy yellow synthetics is the easiest and fastest job for the DiamaPen. The procedure takes a bit longer for colorless CVD synthetics, but in all cases the testing results are consistent and highly satisfactory."

He added that because of the high-power output of the laser beam, anyone handling the laser pen would need to wear safety glasses.

http://www.idexonline.com/

Element Six to Build Synthetic Diamond Innovation Center

Element Six will begin construction of the world’s largest synthetic diamond supermaterials research and development facility in Harwell Oxford, just 20 minutes from Oxford, England. This new $32 million (GBP 20 million) facility will consolidate Element Six’s global innovation team into one integrated space, where it will develop a pipeline of products for customers in industries from oil and gas drilling to machining and electronics.

Once complete in spring 2013, this new innovation center will reinforce Element Six’s position as a world-leader in synthetic diamond research and employ more than 100 engineers, scientists and technicians, according to the firm. In addition, 50 new material science jobs will be created, with the vast majority of those positions made available for highly-qualified graduate scientists, engineers and physicists.

Element Six, which is co-owned by the De Beers Group and Umicore, applies the extreme properties of synthetic diamond supermaterials within abrasive applications and for a diverse range of advanced technologies. One such example includes the speaker dome that is used in the Bowers & Wilkins 800 Diamond Series loudspeakers for which Element Six has just been awarded the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Innovation in the U.K.

The Harwell Oxford location was chosen by Element Six, through support from U.K. Trade & Investment, due to its proximity of emerging technological talent and excellent global connectivity. Harwell Oxford is owned and managed by a public-private sector joint-venture to foster innovation and business in science and technology. There are more than 4,500 people involved in this community, working in some 150 organizations including key U.K. Research Councils, start-ups and multi-national organizations.

Through an “open innovation” campus structure, organizations based in Harwell Oxford are brought together at each stage of the development process. Harwell Oxford provides a supportive environment where networking and collaboration facilitate access to technology, support services and potential customers. There is also extensive development potential for new or growing organizations and investors looking to become part of this community.

Element Six's chief executive, Cyrus Jilla, said, ''I am positive [the center] will deliver higher performance products for our customers, disruptive technologies for new applications and markets, inspire and spur new related businesses in the U.K., and provide an extremely rewarding environment for our scientists who are at the forefront of their field.''

Vince Cable, a member of Parliament and Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, said, ''The investment by Element Six, that will bring a world-class research and development facility to Harwell, shows that the U.K. is a great place for innovative and cutting edge industries to invest. Along with a real boost to the local economy, providing around 50 new highly-skilled engineering jobs, the investment shows that the Oxford region is a world leading location for hi-tech research, and that the U.K. is open for business.''

-diamonds.net

World's first synthetic diamond store

A shop that bills itself as the “world’s first synthetic diamond jewelry store” has opened its doors here. Retailer D.NEA, which conducts most of its business online, said it opened the boutique to allow customers to learn about and view synthetic diamonds in person.

"Customers can now see the full variety and availability of lab-created diamonds with their own eyes. Plus, it is a great place to learn about lab-grown diamonds if you are not familiar with them," said D.NEA's CEO, Eric Franklin.

D.NEA is the retail brand of AOTC, which says it is the largest producer of jewelry-quality lab-created diamonds by carat weight, quantity, and color availability.

AOTC grows white diamonds up to 1 carat, fancy blue diamonds up to 1.5 carats and fancy yellow diamonds up to 2 carats in size.

-INDEX Online

DE BEERS SEEKING SYNTHETIC DIAMOND START-UPS IN SILICON VALLEY

Diamond mining giant De Beers has opened a venture capital office in California’s Silicon Valley dedicated to identifying and funding start-up companies to develop applications for its lab-grown diamonds, the Mercury News reports.

Susie Wheeler, managing director of Element 6 Ventures, says that synthetic diamonds can be employed in a range of industries, due in part to thediamonds’ ability to “perform in extreme environments.”

Element 6 Ventures, founded in 2007 and until now based in Luxembourg, is also constructing a factory in Santa Clara to manufacture synthetic diamonds.

-Rapaport