Advancing Technology is Opening New Jewelry Design Doors
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Advancing Technology is Opening New Jewelry Design Doors
Learn the solid science behind new, innovative lab grown diamond shapes, sizes and colors.
Brought To You By The International Gemological Institute
New Lab Grown Diamonds (LGD) are not just shifting our size and quality paradigms: the landscape of design is widening, literally, as new rough crystals prove practical for fashioning plans rarely or never seen before, like the 13.28 ct Hamsa-inspired pendant above.
The Widening Landscape
Most natural diamonds are produced with cutting angles which maximize depth, along with side to side spread, for best yield from the rough. There are exceptions; twinned crystals and rough broken in the recovery process are used to produce flat shapes, but most natural rough is used to produce well-known shapes like round brilliant, which incorporate a certain amount of depth to facilitate best yield.
Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) grown diamond rough is different. CVD growth occurs vertically, layer upon layer. This results in cube-shaped rough crystals which lend themselves to shallow shapes as well, or better, than traditional shapes with depth, opening a new world of possibilities for diamond design.
Super Saturation
As new diamond designs get paired with advanced color saturation techniques, we’re seeing a range of creative products emerge, from traditional shapes like pears, marquises and ovals with truly generous spread to step cuts with unique depths <20%, to innovations like the Hamsa-inspired pendant and this 8.96 carat free-form “Cannabis” by Fire Diamonds, which required several rounds of irradiation and meticulous care in laser-faceting, polishing and etching.
More To Come
At the same time, size technology continues accelerating. In January, IGI analyzed world record-setting 150 and 141 carat rough crystals from Meylor Global (MG), the largest known to have been produced using the High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT) process. Those crystals broke the previous record of 115 carats, also achieved by MG just 14 months earlier. Over the same period, IGI graded several world record-setting CVD grown polished diamonds, surpassed just two months ago by a 16.41 carat specimen submitted to GIA. As capabilities continue to expand so will product variety and availability.
Knowledge is Power
IGI conducts ongoing seminars, webinars and eLearning courses for industry professionals, trade organizations and retail jewelers in several sectors, including leading luxury brands.
“There’s a lot happening in our industry right now” says North American President Avi Levy. “Those who know the latest developments are going to serve their clients best.”
If you’re interested in organizing an educational seminar for your team, on any gemological topic from basic 4Cs orientation to the latest developments in lab grown diamonds, sustainable solutions and traceability, contact the IGI Education Team at eLearning@igi.org
