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CIBJO President Gaetano urged an audience at a major gemmological gathering in Paris to commit themselves to advancing consumer confidence issues.

He spoke at the 11th Rendez Vous Gemmologiques de Paris as well as at the Fourth European Gemmological Symposium  that were jointly organized in Paris and held at Luxembourg Palace, the seat of the French Senate, on September 6. 



With a range of renowned speakers from the UK, Germany, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Scotland, Switzerland and France, a wide variety of experts and researchers delivered lectures and presentations on the latest topics in gemmology. 



Cavalieri delivered a presentation entitled Beyond the Facets ethics, social responsibility and the business of gemmology, in which he made a passionate call on the gemmological community to take a proactive role in pushing forward consumer confidence issues.



You all take part in some stage of the pipeline… none of you is an observer or bystander, and therefore, what happens in the industry is also your responsibility, he told the audience.

We expect you to be the watch dogs, the whistleblowers if need be, the gatekeepers of the industrys ethics. You have access to information, are observing the industry and making a living from it. You are part, willingly or unwillingly, of the team of the industrys defenders, Cavalieri said.

The delegates were welcomed by Pierre Simon, President of the Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry and by Bernadette Pinet Cuoq, President of the Union Francaise de la Bijouterie, Joaillerie, Orfevrerie, des Pierres & des Perles, who also serves as vice president of Sector C of CIBJO.

The International Diamond Council (IDC) released the Russian translation of the "IDC Rules for Grading Diamonds" today in Moscow, on occasion of the 34th World Diamond Congress, the biennial congress of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB) and the International Diamond Manufacturers Association (IDMA).

Zimbabwe’s government has resolved to defy a diamond sale ban ruled by the world approving authority, the Kimberly Process and will now begin exporting diamonds from its Chiadzwa fields.

For the first time ever, diamond jewelry consumers are going to have a diamond retail benchmark that will guide them in how much they should pay for a diamond.

The Diamond Retail Benchmark (DRB) is derived from up-to-date market data using an objective and fully transparent methodology.

The diamond category is one of the few retail sectors that up to now has not had a Retail Benchmark for consumers. For consumers, many of them first-time diamond buyers, the purchase of a diamond may sometimes prove to be a confusing experience. As a luxury product that will accompany consumers through major life events and will be bought to celebrate those events, confidence is elementary. Consumers should be able to buy a diamond with the confidence of knowing they paid a fair price.

The DRB presents a retail price recommendation for a diamond based on each of the 4Cs – Cut, Carat, Color and Clarity. The benchmark is based on the high-end of retail prices currently in the market place, therefore allowing enough room for all business models. The DRB should be used as background information only. Actual prices are determined by the sellers.

A synthetic diamond has been identified by the DCLA, on the heels of the recent discovery of numerous treated diamonds in Australia.

The man-made diamond, a near-colourless 0.54ct round brilliant cut diamond, was submitted to the DCLA Laboratory for authentication by an Australian diamond merchant unconfident of its origin.

With subsequent examination, the diamond was identified by the DCLA as a diamond created by a company in Canada, Advanced Optical Technologies Corporation (AOTC). Identifying features of this diamond include no fluorescence and a light blue hue, as well as a tiny dark grey inclusion with metallic lustre, pictured above at high resolution 50X magnification.

AOTC produces synthetic coloured diamonds (primarily yellows and blues) as well as colourless “white” diamonds using a high-pressure high-temperature (HPHT) process. There are several other overseas companies also producing synthetic diamonds on a wide scale using this process, while others use a newer process using chemical vapour deposition (CVD) technology. To date, however, there has been no fully disclosed importer of synthetic diamonds in Australia.

In terms of identification, synthetic diamonds (also known as man-made diamonds, lab- or laboratory-created diamonds, and lab- or laboratory-grown diamonds), have the same chemical, physical, and optical properties as natural diamonds do, making them impossible to identify without advanced testing.

Examination with a microscope may sometimes show indicators, or ‘clues’, that a diamond is synthetic, but these are indicators only; neither presence nor absence of these indicators is conclusive. Both natural diamonds and synthetic diamonds may show very similar characteristics, thus advanced testing is required for conclusive identification.

Some visible clues of synthetic diamonds that valuers should be aware of are those of dark grey or black inclusions with a metallic lustre, as seen in this particular HPHT-created diamond, inert fluorescence under long-wave UV light, cloud inclusions, internal or surface graining, stronger short-wave to long-wave fluorescence, phosphorescence, and colour zoning, among others. Natural diamonds will also show these characteristics however, which is why identification of a diamond’s origin requires an educated and trained gemmologist, skilled in handling the necessary equipment in a qualified laboratory.

Buyers and valuers should also be aware that synthetic diamonds created by synthetic diamond producers like AOTC are laser inscribed on the girdle for identification and disclosure purposes, ie. “AOTC CREATED” and should be accompanied by a synthetic diamond report for full and clear disclosure – however, this inscription can be removed and a diamond should always be verified.

DCLA will not issue diamond grading certificates for synthetic diamonds.
 

A rare natural fancy vivid blue diamond sold for a world record price of almost US$9.5 million (AU$12.2 million) at auction in Geneva this month.

The internally flawless, cushion-shaped diamond weighing 7.03 carat was produced by Petra Diamonds’ historic Cullinan mine in South Africa, well-known for its production of blue diamonds, and for many of the most significant diamonds ever discovered. This record-breaking blue diamond was cut from a 26.58 carat rough diamond discovered in 2008. The final US$1.35 million per carat price established a new record for a fancy vivid blue diamond sold at auction, and has surpassed the world record per carat price for any gemstone sold at auction. The grading of this diamond was performed by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), grading it as ‘fancy vivid blue’ in colour and ‘internally flawless’ in clarity – in terms of colour and clarity, this is the top grading that may be achieved for a blue diamond.

The diamond was purchased by a Hong Kong real estate investor, Joseph Lau Luen-Hung, said to be a collector and connoisseur. As the first owner of this diamond, he has exercised his right to name the diamond, known from now as the “Star of Josephine”

Commenting on the sale, Petra Diamonds CEO Johan Dippenaar remarked: “The price achieved at the Sotheby’s auction for this exquisite, internally flawless blue diamond is a world record by value per carat and the highest price to be achieved by a fancy vivid blue diamond, and reflects how incredibly rare and collectable such an important blue diamond is to the connoisseur. The renowned Cullinan mine continues to captivate the world with spectacular diamonds, building on its legacy as the source of some of the world’s most famous gems. This has been a very successful partnership with Sotheby’s, one of the pre-eminent names in jewellery sales, and has provided the perfect platform to garner international recognition for a gem of this calibre.”

Also commenting was David Bennett, Chairman, Europe & the Middle East, Sotheby’s International Jewellery department: “We are absolutely thrilled with the price achieved for this exceptional stone, which ranks as the highest price ever established for a fancy vivid blue diamond. It has been a real privilege to offer a diamond of this importance as the centrepiece of our sale and we have seen it capture the imagination of collectors around the world – particularly in Hong Kong, New York, London and Geneva, where we have exhibited it over the last few weeks. It has also been very exciting and rewarding to work so closely with Petra Diamonds and to follow the progress of this remarkable gem over the last few months; from its emergence in its initial rough state, through its various stages of cutting and polishing, to its auction success on the international stage this evening.”

This blue diamond is one of the rarest blue diamonds ever auctioned, and for Sotheby’s ranks among the most significant diamonds ever to be offered for sale.
 

It is with great pleasure that the DCLA announces the launch of the DCLA Diamond Exchange, a new company and diamond trading floor that gives all diamond buyers direct access to DCLA certified and guaranteed diamonds.

The mission of the DCLA has always been to protect diamond buyers and maintain consumer confidence in diamonds. In the continuing pursuit of this mission, the DCLA has had overwhelming demand to provide the public with access to DCLA certified and guaranteed diamonds. If you cannot find a DCLA diamond at your jeweller, DCLA Diamond Exchange is happy to assist.

The DCLA Diamond Exchange is the first and only diamond exchange where consumers buy diamonds with the greatest confidence that all diamonds are guaranteed to be correctly graded, providing you with the right diamond at the right price. Every diamond listed on the DCLA Diamond Exchange is backed by the DCLA Laboratory Consumer Grading Guarantee. This guarantee assures buyers that every diamond listed on the site is independently graded and verified, and is protected by a full-replacement guarantee.

Through the DCLA Diamond Exchange, leading Australian diamond merchants list their DCLA certified diamonds directly to you on the Diamond Exchange trading floor, while DCLA diamond experts guide you through the buying process from beginning to end.

Consumers view and compare diamonds with the personal assistance of a diamond expert in a professional laboratory setting. DCLA Diamond Buying Workshops offer consumers succinct and comprehensive diamond knowledge. Select diamond advisors provide full analyses and explanation of the diamonds being viewed, for complete confidence, understanding, and peace of mind.

This means that the DCLA now provides the first ‘one-stop-shop’ for all diamond consumer needs. Consumers can depend on reliable expert advice and diamond buying information to ensure they make a smart purchase, regardless of where they decide to buy.

Buy your diamond from the diamond experts, and select a jeweller whose designs and work you like. For more information, or to find a diamond, go to the DCLA Diamond Exchange.

Why buy from the DCLA Diamond Exchange?

• DCLA are experts in diamonds and determining diamond quality, with vast knowledge and experience in diamonds.
• DCLA Diamond Exchange draws on the thousands of DCLA diamonds available right here in Australia, which guarantees you the right diamond at the right price.
• DCLA gives you all the information you need to make a smart purchase, even if you buy elsewhere.
• DCLA certifies, guarantees and cold laser inscribes every diamond for your protection.
• The DCLA Diamond Exchange will have the largest selected variety of DCLA Laboratory certified, approved, and quality guaranteed diamonds available in Australia.

THE DCLA DIAMOND EXCHANGE