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Protecting Your Sparkle: Why Screening Has Become Essential
While no reputable jeweler would knowingly sell lab-grown stones as natural, it's a growing possibility.
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As symbols of love and commitment, few things are more cherished than diamonds. Natural diamonds are revered as timeless miracles of nature. Lab-grown diamonds are affordable, man-made marvels. Each product has its own separate appeal.
The word “separate” is paramount here: Whether you sell natural diamonds (ND), lab-grown diamonds (LGD), or both, inadvertent mixing by experts can threaten one’s sparkling reputation.
While no reputable jeweler would knowingly sell lab-grown stones as natural, we all must face the growing possibility in our stores. LGD have permeated every major trading center. Small stones find their way into ND melee parcels. Larger stones are traded between consumers online, acquired by pawn shops with no testing, and even are purchased over-the-counter by professionals who are unequipped to detect them.
The Elephants in the Room
Two issues make this undisclosed mixing a growing danger. The first is confusion about detection. An alarming number of pros continue to mistakenly believe that inexpensive diamond testers will distinguish ND from LGD. Common electronic testers can misidentify HPHT-grown stones as Moissanite (learn why that happens here). Inexperienced jewelers mistakenly believe such basic testers will identify all lab-grown stones the same way. Which is patently false. Thermal testers make no distinction whatsoever and electronic testers frequently conclude ND and LGD are identical. These instruments are not useful and can be damaging to one’s reputation.
The second issue is the high cost and limited reliability of useful detection technology. There are UV-based testers designed to help separate LGD from ND, but they can cost thousands of dollars and are not 100 percent conclusive, particularly on mounted goods. In most cases, experienced human judgment is also required, which is why the guidance states that these instruments are not a substitute for laboratory screening.
Professionals who proactively invest in the latest detection technology are to be commended. However, precautions should not stop in the back office, particularly for goods that have changed hands.