EditorsMar 03, 2025
Drop Necklaces, Archival Pieces Take Over at the 2025 OscarsFrom Doja Cat to Mikey Madison and Selena Gomez, many of this year’s Academy Awards attendees donned drop necklaces.
GradingMay 11, 2016
Stuller acquires De Beers’ melee screener
Sightholder and supplier Stuller Inc. is one of two United States companies now using De Beers’ Automated Melee Screening device, which is designed to tell small lab-grown diamonds from natural ones.
Stanley Zale, Stuller’s vice president of diamonds and gemstones, said Monday that the company purchased one of the machines and received it two weeks ago. While Stuller did consider using the machine to test stones for their retail customers, the company has opted to use it only for its own inventory.
Stuller began running melee through the AMS device right away and, so far, hasn’t found a single lab-grown diamond among the thousands of stones it’s scanned, Zale says.
He says the same is true for the HRD D-screening the company has been doing for years on diamonds 20 points and larger to check for synthetics. This process allows Stuller to detect if a diamond is Type IIa, which is rare in nature but common among lab-grown diamonds, and send it to a grading laboratory for further testing if so.
To date, none of those diamonds have come back as lab-grown either, though Zale says having the HRD D-screening and AMS device are necessary today. “This is an insurance policy for the integrity of our business,” he says.
RELATED CONTENT: De Beers deploys first wave of melee screeners
De Beers began deploying its AMS device in early July to sightholders around the world. Mumbai-based Kiran Gems along with Tasaki and Rosy Blue in Japan are among those companies using the machine. De Beers could not release the name of the second U.S. company to have one of the AMS devices by press time.
The AMS device screens stones between 1 point (1.3 mm) and 20 points (3.8 mm) in size, automatically feeding the stones table-down into a testing station and then dispensing them into separate bins indicating if they pass (are natural diamonds), need further testing, or are not diamonds at all.
It takes up to 500 carats of colorless or near-colorless melee at a time and scans one stone every 10 seconds. The cost of the AMS device, which can be left to run
unattended, is $55,000 plus a three-year, $10,000-a-year support and maintenance charge, according to De Beers.
Stanley said in receiving the machine from De Beers, Stuller also receiving a set of statistical sampling guidelines for testing melee--i.e., for every “X” number of carats of melee, run “X” percentage through the machine--noting, “You cannot check every stone. It’s not reasonable. It’s not realistic.”
More on Grading
The Latest
Policies & IssuesMar 03, 2025
Customs Indefinitely Postpones Requirement to Disclose Country of MiningOriginally slated to take effect in April, official U.S. Customs and Border Protection documents now show the implementation date as “TBD.”
SurveysMar 03, 2025
Consumer Confidence Fell in February Amid Concerns About the FutureThe recent jump in the prices of household staples, like eggs, and the potential impact of tariffs worried consumers.
Brought to you by
Have a Plan for EmergenciesEmergencies can happen anytime, anywhere , and Jewelers of America has what you need to be prepared for it all.
Events & AwardsMar 03, 2025
AGA Now Accepting Applications for Its Gemological Education Scholarship The application period for the program is now open for aspiring gemologists around the world.
Weekly QuizFeb 27, 2025
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
CollectionsFeb 28, 2025
Piece of the Week: Ironhorse Quillwork EarringsThe work of Indigenous designer Joe Big Mountain, these earrings are similar to the pair Lily Gladstone just wore to the SAG Awards.
AuctionsFeb 28, 2025
300-Year-Old Ring With Ties to Witch Trial Judge Up for Auction A metal detectorist uncovered the ring created in memory of Sir Richard Rainsford, who presided over some of England’s last witch trials.
Brought to you by
A Diamond ETF is the Way to Reinvigorate Natural Diamond SalesThe jewelry industry faces challenges from lab-grown diamonds. A diamond ETF can restore natural diamonds' value and drive investor demand.
Recorded WebinarsFeb 28, 2025
Watch: 2025 Jewelry Trends ForecastFine jewelry consultant and publicist Francesca Simons joins Amanda Gizzi and Natalie Francisco to discuss the trends set to rise this year.
TrendsFeb 27, 2025
Model Winnie Harlow Says ‘Yes’ to 3-Stone Engagement RingHarlow’s partner, NBA player Kyle Kuzma, worked with Vobara to design the ring, which features oval and pear-shaped diamonds.
MajorsFeb 27, 2025
Winona Ryder, Iman Star in New Pandora CampaignThe Danish jeweler released the next chapter of its “Be Love” campaign, which celebrates love in all its forms.
SourcingFeb 27, 2025
Gemfields Holds Mini Auction for Higher-Quality EmeraldsThe 13 lots on offer were comprised of material that previously went unsold at the miner’s November auction.
Events & AwardsFeb 27, 2025
JA to Host Workshop During Alabama Jewelers Association ConventionThe learning workshop and the convention are both scheduled to take place April 26 and 27 in Montgomery, Alabama.
Policies & IssuesFeb 26, 2025
EU Once Again Pushes Back Deadline on Diamond Traceability The EU, like the U.S., also now will require diamond importers to provide information about where exactly the diamonds were mined.
SourcingFeb 26, 2025
De Beers, Botswana Make New Diamond Sales Deal OfficialThe formal signing of the agreement comes nearly two years after De Beers and Botswana initially announced they had reached a new deal.
Events & AwardsFeb 26, 2025
JFC Names 2025 ‘Facets’ HonoreesThe charity will celebrate Pandora CEO Alexander Lacik and Brilliant Earth CEO Beth Gerstein at its annual event in Las Vegas.
ColumnistsFeb 25, 2025
Peter Smith: Here’s What I Think Retailers need to have the right merchandise, marketing, and people in place to stay on top in a sea of uncertainty, Peter Smith writes.
EditorsFeb 25, 2025
Out & About: Visiting Tacori’s New Shop-in-Shop Senior Editor Lenore Fedow traveled to Smyth Jewelers in Maryland to see the first of 15 revamped in-store boutiques Tacori is rolling out.
MajorsFeb 25, 2025
Qurate Has a New NameThe parent company of HSN and QVC is undergoing a restructuring.
CollectionsFeb 25, 2025
Michael B. Jordan Stars in David Yurman’s Spring CampaignThe company’s newest brand ambassador Eiza González will also be featured in the ads for the women’s campaign.
SourcingFeb 24, 2025
Colored Stone Market Update: Tracking Industry Trends in TucsonDeclining supply and growing demand persist in the colored gemstone market, presenters from Gemworld said at AGTA GemFair Tucson.
TrendsFeb 24, 2025
Renna’s Lobster Clasp Looks Like a Claw, Now It's Patented by LawThe designer’s new patent transforms the everyday clasp into her jumbo “Lobster Clasp,” modeled after the look of a crustacean’s claw.
Events & AwardsFeb 24, 2025
Bogolo Joy Kenewendo to Speak at Annual JVC LuncheonKenewendo, Botswana’s minister of minerals and energy, will discuss the future of diamonds.
SourcingFeb 24, 2025
Diavik’s Production Down 17% in 2024 Sales at the Rio Tinto-owned mine also slid by a double-digit percentage, falling 37 percent in a difficult market for diamonds.
CollectionsFeb 21, 2025
Piece of the Week: Jade Ruzzo’s ‘Tennessee’ Oval Drop EarringsHeidi Gardner, an SNL cast member, wore the smoky quartz earrings on the “SNL50: The Anniversary Special” red carpet on Sunday.
SourcingFeb 21, 2025
Zambia Lifts 15% Export Duty on Gemstones, Metals The reversal comes less than two months after the Zambian government reinstated the tax in an effort to bring in more money.
MajorsFeb 21, 2025
24 Karat Club of New York Names New PresidentThe organization also announced its newly elected officers and directors.
