News – Page 78 – The Diamond Certification Laboratory of Australia (DCLA)

Researchers use ‘superdeep’ diamonds to shed light on Earth’s inner workings

In a new study led by a University of Alberta PhD student, researchers used diamonds as breadcrumbs to provide insight into some of Earth’s deepest geologic mechanisms.

“Geologists have recently come to the realization that some of the largest, most valuable diamonds are from the deepest portions of our planet,” said Margo Regier, a PhD student in the Faculty of Science under the supervision of Graham Pearson and Thomas Stachel. “While we are not yet certain why diamonds can grow to larger sizes at these depths, we propose a model where these ‘superdeep’ diamonds crystallize from carbon-rich magmas, which may be critical for them to grow to their large sizes.”

Beyond their beauty and industrial applications, diamonds provide unique windows into the deep Earth, allowing scientists to examine the transport of carbon through the mantle.

“The vast majority of Earth’s carbon is actually stored in its silicate mantle, not in the atmosphere,” Regier explained. “If we are to fully understand Earth’s whole carbon cycle, we need to understand this vast reservoir of carbon deep underground.”

The study revealed that the carbon-rich oceanic crust that sinks into the deep mantle releases most of its carbon before it gets to the deepest portion of the mantle. That means most carbon is recycled back to the surface, and only small amounts are stored in the deep mantle—which has significant implications for how scientists understand the Earth’s carbon cycle.

The mechanism is important to understand for a number of reasons, Regier noted.

“The movement of carbon between the surface and mantle affects Earth’s climate, the composition of its atmosphere and the production of magma from volcanoes,” said Regier.

“We do not yet understand if this carbon cycle has changed over time, nor do we know how much carbon is stored in the deepest parts of our planet. If we want to understand why our planet has evolved into its habitable state today and how the surfaces and atmospheres of other planets may be shaped by their interior processes, we need to better understand these variables.”

The study was made possible through a collaboration between researchers at the U of A and the University of Glasgow, including Jeff Harris, who collected the diamond samples. Support through federal funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, through the Diamond Exploration Research Training School at the U of A, was also integral in enabling the research.

The study, “The Lithospheric to Lower Mantle Carbon Cycle Recorded in Superdeep Diamonds,” was published in Nature.

/University of Alberta Release. The material in this public release comes from the originating organization and may be of a point-in-time nature, edited for clarity, style and length. View in full here.
Tags:atmosphere, Canada, climate, council, Engineering, exploration, planet, production, research, research council, school, science, Scientists, Student, university, University of Alberta

Source: miragenews

Rio Tinto unveils rare diamonds as Argyle nears end

Rio Tinto has showcased its rare pink, red, violet and blue diamonds from the Argyle mine in Western Australia virtually to a group of collectors, connoisseurs and luxury jewellery houses.

The 2020 Argyle Pink Diamonds Tender is a collection of the rarest diamonds from this year’s production of precious gems produced at the east Kimberley, Western Australia site.

The collection was headlined by Lot Number 1, which is the largest Fancy Vivid round brilliant diamond ever offered at the tender.

Weighing in at 2.24 carats, the Fancy Vivid Purplish Pink diamond, also known as Argyle Eternity, is the highlight of the historic collection which comprises of 62 diamonds weighing 57.23 carats.

The Argyle Pink Diamonds Tender also features six hero diamonds, recognised for their unique beauty and named so to ensure there is a permanent record of their place in history as some of the world’s most important diamonds.

In addition to Argyle Eternity, these hero diamonds include the 2.45 carat square Fancy Intense Purple-Pink Argyle Ethereal, the 1.84 carat pear shaped Fancy Vivid Purplish Pink Argyle Sakura, the 0.43 carat Argyle Emrys in greyish blue, the 0.33 carat grey-violet Argyle Skylar and 0.70 carat violet-grey Argyle Infinite.

In addition to these gems the collection also features 12 lots of carefully curated never to be repeated sets of miniature rare Argyle punk, red, blue and violet diamonds weighing in at a total of 13.90 carats.

Rio Tinto general manager of sales and marketing for diamonds Patrick Coppens noted the Argyle mine’s history of producing rare pink gems.

“The Argyle pink diamond story has continued to enthral throughout the years following the remarkable discovery of the Argyle mine in 1979,” Coppens said.

“The 2020 Argyle Pink Diamonds Tender is a collection of rare earthly treasures, intricate works of art and with a potency of colour that will be keenly sought after by collectors and connoisseurs from around the world.”

Rio Tinto chief executive of copper and diamonds Arnaud Soirat added that the Argyle mine is the world’s first and only ongoing source of rare pink, red and violet diamonds.

“We have seen and continue to see strong demand for these highly coveted diamonds, which together with extremely limited global supply, supports the significant value appreciation for Argyle pink diamonds,” Soirat said.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions the collection was previewed virtually for exclusive invitees before viewings begin later this year at the Argyle mine, in Perth and in Singapore in Antwerp.

Bids for the precious stones close on December 2 2020.

Source: australianmining

Ulysse Nardin Introduces an Exclusive Blast Edition

At the Geneva Watch Days event in late August, Ulysse Nardin unveiled a new collection called Blast. The collection featured timepieces with a new, self-winding, skeletonized caliber with a flying tourbillon; a multifaceted case design inspired by the lines of stealth aircraft; and a new “one-click” folding clasp. A week later, Ulysse Nardin introduced another Blast reference, positioned as a high-end jewelry timepiece, whose open worked, automatic tourbillon movement, as well as its case, are embellished with geometrically cut diamonds in a motif reminiscent of a mosaic.

The new Sparkling Blast is limited to three pieces and has a 45-mm-diameter, white-gold case, with either a white-colored rubber strap or a deep blue-colored alligator strap. Each watch is adorned with a total of 211 hand-faceted diamonds across the case, crown, bezel, indexes, and hands; 85 of those diamonds are uniquely cut, giving the timepiece a total weight of 13 carats. The X-shaped cage on the open worked dial is also set with an array of diamonds, directly embedded into the architecture of this “shape-within-shape-within-shape” of the watch face, to highlight the large “X” framed inside the rectangle, itself framed inside the circle of the bezel.

The X-shaped cage on the openworked dial is set with an array of diamonds.

Ulysse Nardin says that the design of the case middle and its distinctive triple lugs borrows its “aligned edges and serrated triangular patterns” from the silhouettes of the wings found on stealth fighter jets, which make them invisible to radar and radio waves.

Each case, crown, bezel and index is adorned with hand-faceted diamonds; the watch has 211 diamonds in all.

The diamonds are set using an “invisible setting” technique that originated in France 200 years ago. In this setting, the diamonds are held in place by a hidden structure, which creates a floating appearance inside the metal ring but is invisible from the surface.

The self-deploying buckle is adorned with 1.22k of diamonds.

Like the Executive Skeleton Tourbillon and the other Blast models that preceded it, the new Sparkling Blast reference is powered by the skeletonized Caliber UN-172. This movement is an upgraded version of Ulysse Nardin’s existing Caliber 171, updated to feature a platinum micro-rotor, visible from the front at 12 o’clock, which is the silicon mainspring’s source of power, automatically winding it to amass a power-reserve up to three days (72 hours). Inside the movement is a 2.5-Hz silicon flying automatic tourbillon. Of the movement’s 137 components, 23 of them belong to the tourbillon.

The Ulysse Nardin Sparkling Blast retails for CHF 410,000 on either a white-colored rubber strap or a deep blue-and-white-colored leather strap, with a self-deploying buckle adorned with 1.22k of diamonds. The array of diamonds set on each timepiece comply with the World Diamond Council System of Warranties to ensure that no “conflict diamonds” enter the supply chain.

Source:Watchtime

Jewelry Sales Down 54 per cent in Hong Kong

Sales of jewelry and other luxury goods in Hong Kong fell by more than half in July, according to new figures.

It was the worst affected sector of all, with a year-on-year decline of 53.7 per cent to $328m.

Sales were hit by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, a two-week quarantine requirement for tourists from mainland China, and continuing anti-government protests.

Figures for the first half of 2020 show revenue from revenue from jewelry, watches, clocks and other valuable gifts was down by 64 per cent to $2.14 bn.

Total retail sales for all sectors were down 23.1 per cent compared with July 2019, at about $3.41bn, according to data released yesterday by the Census and Statistics Department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region HKSAR government.

Source: IDEX

Gem recovers high-quality 233 ct diamond at Letšeng

Gem Diamonds has recovered a high quality 233 ct Type II white diamond from its 70% owned Letšeng mine, in Lesotho, the highest dollar per carat kimberlite diamond mine in the world.

This follows the recent recovery of a high quality 442 ct Type II diamond, one of the world’s largest gem quality diamonds to be recovered this year.

The company noted in a trading statement published in July that the mine had produced about 43 275 ct of diamonds in the first half of this year.

Source: miningweekly

GIA Considers Shutting Antwerp Lab

The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) plans to close or heavily scale back its Antwerp operations following a review of its business in the Belgian city.

“Based on global and local market conditions and activity, and the impact of the global pandemic, the GIA conducted an evaluation of the long-term viability of GIA Belgium,” a spokesperson for the organization told Rapaport News on Friday. “As a result of that evaluation, we have the intention to close or significantly reduce the GIA laboratory and offices in Antwerp, which will likely result in a reduction in staff.”

The GIA invested in its Antwerp business as recently as 2018, expanding the office’s research and traceability services and adding diamond grading to its capabilities — though it also shuttered its Dubai branch the same year.

The decision about the “closure or near-closure” in Antwerp is not final, the GIA noted, and the group is consulting with staff members in Belgium.

Around 50 people could lose their jobs if the move goes through, according to Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws.

Belgium’s diamond industry has struggled in recent years amid a shift in manufacturing work to India and a reduction in bank lending to the sector. The coronavirus has intensified the situation: The country’s polished exports for 2020’s second quarter slid 71% year on year to $813.2 million as global demand plummeted and shipping routes shut down. The GIA lab closed for almost two months during the pandemic.

The laboratory will maintain its current operations in the meantime, meaning clients will still be able to submit and pick up stones, the GIA stated.

Source: Diamonds.net

Four Hublot’s That Shine Bright Like A Diamond

Diamonds have the power to transform the look of a watch completely. It can give sportive watches a touch of elegance, where it makes quite a difference if the understated baguette-cut is selected, or the more vibrant brilliant cut, while a mixture of both has an appeal of its own as well. For Hublot, diamonds are part of the ‘Art of Fusion,’ as they seamlessly integrate them in the following four stunning watches;

Spirit of Big Bang High Jewelry
As can be expected from a brand like Hublot, does it not settle for just an ordinary setting when decorating one of their watches with diamonds. This Spirit of Big Bang is the perfect example of this. Hublot took different shapes and sizes of diamonds and set them in the case, dividing each with a white gold rim that holds the gemstone. Such a setting is extremely difficult to accomplish, especially on the already complex case shape of the Spirit of Big Bang. The result is breathtaking, as it looks like cracked ice with an ice-hole at the bottom through which we don’t see water, but a tourbillon.

Classic Fusion Aerofusion Chronograph High Jewelry
It is improbable that James Bond will ever sport a diamond-set watch on the big screen, but when he does, this Classic Fusion Aerofusion Chronograph High Jewelry might be perfect. It is another watch in which Hublot utilizes a very complex setting, creating an effect very much like the gun barrel sequence at the start of each James Bond movie. It gives the Classic Fusion Aerofusion Chronograph a very dynamic look, not commonly associated with a diamond-set watch. Hublot went even as far as setting the skeletonized dial with diamonds, another feature not easy to accomplish. It is offered in white gold, but also in King gold, where it shows a different side of its character.

Big Bang MP-11 High Jewellery
The Big Bang MP-11 imposes with its seven series-coupled mainspring barrels, which give the watch a power reserve of 14-days. As they are horizontally aligned at the bottom of the movement, the sapphire crystal has a slight dome to accommodate them underneath. The case has this dome also, and while already stunning in the regular edition, the High Jewellery version is even more breathtaking. Here Hublot opted for a very close setting of baguette-cut diamonds, which make it look like most of the watch is made out of a solid gemstone.

Hublot Big Bang Tourbillon Power Reserve 5 Days High Jewellery
Sometimes you want it all, with both the watch and the bracelet completely set with diamonds. The Hublot Big Bang Tourbillon Power Reserve 5 Days High Jewellery offers just that, combined with a generous five-day power reserve and a tourbillon. The watch is set in such an exquisite way that hardly any part of the white gold case and bracelet shows. To achieve this, Hublot used 1.574 diamonds, with a total carat weight of 84.90. The fun part of this watch is that it also comes with Hublot’s patented ‘One-click system,’ which enables you to switch between the diamond set bracelet and a rubber or alligator strap in a matter of seconds.

Source: hautetime

Chinese Online Giant to Offer Verified GIA Reports

Technology provider Everledger has teamed up with the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) to verify diamond grading reports on e-commerce site JD.com, China’s largest retailer.

Everledger will synchronize the GIA’s grading information to JD’s existing anti-counterfeiting platform, giving consumers independently verified grading reports, the three organizations said in a joint statement Tuesday. The program will also offer origin information, while identifying and reducing fraud, such as the use of the same GIA report for multiple stones.

Using blockchain technology, the service will give “unprecedented” transparency and enhance the digital-shopping experience amid a rise in online diamond buying, the groups said. “Digitally savvy” millennials account for a larger proportion of diamond sales in China than elsewhere in the world, they added.

“Given the growth in e-commerce, fraud is a very real risk in the diamond market, which is why it’s so important that consumers have access to secure and trustworthy information,” explained Chris Taylor, Everledger’s chief operating officer. “By bringing cutting-edge blockchain technology, online luxury shopping, and GIA’s gold-standard grading expertise together on JD.com, we’re empowering consumers to purchase luxury items with increased confidence.”

The information will be available through JD’s mobile and desktop websites, as well as on its app. The e-commerce giant will also offer livestreams and educational initiatives to teach customers about fraud associated with purchasing diamonds.

London-based Everledger entered greater China in 2018, when it collaborated with the GIA and Hong Kong-based jewelry retailer Chow Tai Fook to offer consumers secure grading reports using blockchain technology. The technology company also partnered with Alrosa to offer provenance information on diamonds through Chinese multipurpose app WeChat. Tencent, which owns WeChat, led Everledger’s Series A funding round last year.

JD, headquartered in Beijing, recorded revenues of $82.9 billion in 2019, putting it ahead of rival Alibaba, which brought in $72 billion in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2020.

Source: Diamonds.net

Star Diamond recovers 2,409 diamonds in second bulk sample

Star Diamond Corp announced that a total A total of 2,409 diamonds weighing 123.27 carats have to date been recovered from the second bulk sample trench (19FALCT004) excavated on its Star kimberlite at the Fort à la Corne kimberlite field in central Saskatchewan.

These initial results are from the second of 10 bulk sample trenches excavated by 60% optionee Rio Tinto Exploration Canada Inc in 2019.

The average diamond grades from the first two trenches are similar to historical diamond grade results detected from the underground bulk sampling and large diameter drilling completed on the Star kimberlite between 2004 and 2009. These results are also similar to the overall weighted average grade 14 carats per hundred tonnes reported in Star Diamond’s PEA of the Star and Orion South kimberlites .

The three largest diamonds recovered to date from 19FALCT004 are 2.98, 2.03 and 1.99 carats, respectively, and were all recovered from Early Joli Fou kimberlite. The EJF is the dominant kimberlite unit within the project in terms of ore volume and diamond grade.

As disclosed by Star Diamond on August 4, 2020, there are indications that recent diamond breakage has occurred in the diamond parcels recovered thus far from RTEC’s trench cutter bulk sampling program, suggesting that the extraction and/or processing systems being used by RTEC may be resulting in diamond breakage. Comprehensive diamond breakage studies are required to assess the nature and extent of the diamond breakage resulting from RTEC’s methods and the possibility that larger diamonds would have been recovered absent such breakage.

Senior vice president of exploration and development, George Read, states: “The initial diamond results from 19FALCT004 and 19FALCT001 continue to show grades similar to the previous underground bulk sampling and LDD performed by Star Diamond on the Star kimberlite. Individual EJF kimberlite samples recovered in the first two trenches exhibit a range of grades 9.81 to 21.22 cpht for 19FALCT004 and 4.88 to 23.34 cpht for 19FALCT001, which are as expected for the EJF kimberlite.”

Source: resourceworld

GIA Now Able to Screen Fancy-Shaped Melee

The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) has expanded its melee-screening capabilities, with the organization now able to test whether parcels of fancy-shaped diamonds contain lab-grown or treated stones.

The melee-analysis service separates natural diamonds from synthetics, simulants and stones that are potentially treated using High Pressure-High Temperature (HPHT). Since launching it in 2016, the GIA has only been able to sort round-brilliant melee, the GIA said last week.

The service processes 1,800 to 2,000 stones per hour, and can also sort screened round diamonds by color and size range. Once diamonds are sorted, the melee is sealed in a secure package and returned, the GIA noted.

Source: Diamonds.net