Chris Blakeslee has experience at Athleta and Alo Yoga. Kendra Scott will remain on board as executive chair and chief visionary officer.
IIDGR to Begin Shipping New Lab-Grown Screening Device
The SYNTHdetect identifies natural diamonds and refers potential lab-grown stones for further testing.

London--The International Institute of Diamond Grading & Research, the grading lab owned by De Beers, announced Monday that its newest lab-grown diamond screening device is now available to retailers.
Instead of identifying lab-grown diamonds, the SYNTHdetect works by picking out the natural diamonds.
It uses patented luminescence technology to quickly screen diamonds that are set in pieces of jewelry, without the need for a probe.
It is designed specifically for use by retailers. It is not automated like some of the melee screeners now available in the industry and, instead, needs to be operated manually.
SYNTHdetect is priced at $16,250.
Businesses interested in placing orders should mail the lab at contact@iidgr.com.
IIDGR made the announcement about the availability of SYNTHdetect just ahead of the Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair, which begins Wednesday.
The De Beers-owned lab also announced the launch of its second online education course, the Diamond Foundation Course. It’s an entry-level class for employees of retailers and manufacturers and those looking to get into the jewelry industry that the IIDGR said is “focused on extending participants’ knowledge beyond the 4Cs, providing an understanding of the entire diamond pipeline and key issues affecting the sector.”
IIDGR rolled out its first education course, Synthetic Diamond Detection, earlier this year at the Las Vegas jewelry shows.
In addition, on Friday (Sept. 15) of the show, IIDGR President Jonathan Kendall will host a demonstration of the SYNTHdetect for media from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Hong Kong time at the IIDGR booth, number 3M043.
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