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De Beers to Launch New Synthetics Screening Device
The PhosView is about the size of a toaster, can scan parcels of diamonds quickly and ultimately will cost $4,500.
In a release announcing the upcoming launch of the PhosView, International Institute of Diamond Grading & Research President Jonathan Kendall said, “With rising concern in the diamond industry around undisclosed HPHT synthetics, protecting trade confidence is critical.”
London--Later this month in Hong Kong, De Beers will unveil the latest device designed to guard against lab-grown diamonds filtering into the mined pipeline undisclosed and undetected.
The PhosView is about the size of a toaster and was designed to scan parcels of white diamonds between one-third of a point (0.9 mm or 0.003 carats) and one carat in size.
During analysis, the user inserts the stones in a removable sample tray that’s part of the PhosView sample drawer.
Once the drawer is shut, the user presses a button and sees the diamonds on a screen while they are under UV light. The light reveals any phosphorescing stones, which could be synthetics grown using the high-pressure, high-temperature (HPHT) process.
The user can then use the built-in manipulator arms to separate out these diamonds for further testing.
De Beers said the PhosView is designed to screen loose diamonds as well as some pieces of jewelry.
The PhosView will be available for purchase at the Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair, which is scheduled for Sept. 14 to 18.
An introductory price of $3,700 will be available for orders placed during the show. After that, it will increase to $4,500. The PhosView comes with a one-year warranty covering parts and service.
While significantly less expensive than De Beers’ Automated Melee Screening Device (AMS), which is $55,000-plus, the PhosView can only detect diamonds that were grown using HPHT process. It will not pick up stones made by the chemical vapor deposition, or CVD, process and the PhosView also cannot be used to screen for diamond simulants (cubic zirconia, moissanite) or any natural diamond treatments.
It also has to be manually operated.
De Beers’ International Institute of Diamond Grading & Research developed the PhosView machine.
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