Synthetic Diamond Detected at Gemmological Institute of India

The Diamond Grading Laboratory of the Gemmological Institute of India (GII) recently discovered that a 0.43 carat yellow-colored diamond, submitted to the lab for grading, was a synthetic. A synthetic is lab made diamond.

The discovery was made using a range of tests and equipment including the DTC’s DiamondSure and the DiamondView.

The properties of synthetic diamonds are so similar to the natural diamonds that their identification is a challenge to the gem industry. None of the routine tests used for the separation of diamonds from its simulants is useful in distinguishing the synthetic diamonds. Even for a conventional gem testing laboratory, it is practically impossible to differentiate the synthetics from their natural counterparts.

Source material reprinted with permission from IDEX Magazine (http://www.idexonline.com/).