Supplier BulletinNov 21, 2024
Tasha R Releases 2025 Labbelle Lab Diamond Jewelry CatalogSponsored by Tasha R
GradingJun 14, 2019
GSI Spots Synthetic Sapphire Melee Set in Jewelry
Lab President Debbie Azar called the discovery “atypical.”
One of the man-made white sapphires recently found by GSI under natural light (left) and phosphorescing. GSI said blue phosphorescence in a lab-grown white sapphire is unusual and is what indicated to graders that the stones needed additional testing. (Photo credit: GSI)
New York—Gemological Science International recently found man-made sapphire melee set among natural diamonds in a piece of jewelry.
In a news release sent out in late May, GSI said it received multiple diamond fashion pendants for screening and in one of the pendants, graders found near-colorless lab-grown white sapphires ranging in size from .01-.10 points.
Lab co-founder and President Debbie Azar called the setting of these stones in a natural diamond pendant a “very atypical” use of melee-sized man-made white sapphire, noting that the lab has never seen them in this size set into a piece of jewelry. (Usually, when it detects a stone that is not diamond in a piece like this, it is a lab-grown diamond.)
GSI tests and screens loose stones, melee parcels and jewelry for lab-grown diamonds and simulants like cubic zirconia (CZ), and has found both in all three.
RELATED CONTENT: GSI Opens Office Dedicated to Lab-Grown ScreeningBut, Azar said, the undisclosed lab-grown diamonds are by far the bigger issue.
“We would say it is a very big problem that just won’t go away. What is more, lately we encounter new, much more sophisticatedly grown diamonds, which require more efforts and tools to identify.”
GSI is not the only lab to note the advancing capabilities of diamond growers.
In the spring issue of Gems & Gemology, researchers at the Gemological Institute of America wrote about finding a natural diamond topped with a layer of CVD-grown diamond, the second to come through the lab in two years.
“This could be a new type of product entering the market,” they wrote. “Earth-grown diamonds with synthetic diamond grown on the surface require extra scrutiny … Careful inspection still reveals the presence of synthetic indicators, which expose the true nature of the diamond.”
Azar said GSI is planning to release articles in the near future regarding some of the atypical cases it has seen.
“These new, as well as more typical undisclosed lab-grown diamonds, are found by our scientists in all our labs globally,” she said. “It’s not limited to one geographical location. It’s a global issue.”
More on Grading
The Latest
AuctionsNov 21, 2024
Gold Watch Gifted to Titanic Rescue Ship Captain Sells for $2MThree Titanic survivors presented him with the personalized Tiffany & Co. timepiece about a year after the tragedy.
MajorsNov 21, 2024
Harris Jewelry Ordered to Reopen Claims Portal for Refund RequestsA federal court found that the jewelry store chain violated terms of the settlement reached after it was accused of defrauding customers.
Brought to you by
Navigating Cybersecurity: Essential Guidance for JewelersFrom protecting customer data to safeguarding inventory records, it's crucial to learn how to tackle cybersecurity challenges.
CollectionsNov 21, 2024
Channel Elphaba in Muse’s ‘Have a Heart x Cynthia Erivo’ CollectionCynthia Erivo chose Dreams of Hope, an organization dedicated to empowering LGBTQA+ youth, as the charity for this year’s collection.
Weekly QuizNov 21, 2024
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
MajorsNov 21, 2024
Rocksbox Opens Pop-Up Store in San FranciscoThe new space was designed to evoke a warm, inviting vibe.
IndependentsNov 21, 2024
Mary Moses Kinney Is Now Part of The Edge’s Team Kinney, who spent nearly 30 years at IJO, has been hired to head Abbott Jewelry Systems’ new virtual marketplace.
Brought to you by
Enhance Your Expertise with IGI’s In-Person Courses in NYCThis fall, sharpen your skills in jewelry grading, quality control and diamond assessment.
CrimeNov 20, 2024
Sotheby’s to Pay $6.25M Settlement to NY State for Alleged Tax FraudThe auction house was accused of helping clients avoid paying taxes on millions of dollars’ worth of art purchased from 2010 to 2020.
Events & AwardsNov 20, 2024
Kering Debuts New Jewelry Award With Sustainability FocusThe four finalists will present their pieces at the 2025 JCK Las Vegas show.
CollectionsNov 20, 2024
Pamela Love Channels Surrealist Artists in New CollectionThe “Camera Oscura” collection showcases earring designs celebrating female Surrealist artists Claude Cahun and Leonor Fini.
Policies & IssuesNov 20, 2024
Columbia Gem House Raises $10K for Reforestation EffortsThe money will fund the planting of 10,000 trees in critical areas across Oregon, Arizona, Montana, and other regions.
Events & AwardsNov 20, 2024
The Jewelry Symposium Opens Registration, Scholarship ApplicationsThe event centered on advancing jewelry manufacturing technology will return to Detroit in May 2025.
CrimeNov 19, 2024
Woman Killed in Armed Robbery of Sacramento Jewelry StoreLocal reports identified the woman as the wife of the jewelry store owner.
AuctionsNov 19, 2024
‘A Tsar’s Treasure’ Fetches $2.9M at Sotheby’s Jewelry SaleA collection of pieces owned by Ferdinand I, the first king of modern Bulgaria, and his family, blew away estimates in Geneva last week.
MajorsNov 19, 2024
Trove Opens First US Flagship in NYCThe Australian jewelry box brand’s new West Village store will showcase new jewelers each month through its Designer in Residence program.
CollectionsNov 19, 2024
Snoop Dogg’s New Jewelry Collection Is All About Love“Lovechild” was created in partnership with Carolyn Rafaelian’s Metal Alchemist brand.
EditorsNov 18, 2024
Q&A: Helzberg CEO Brad Hampton on the Jeweler’s RebrandHampton discussed how Helzberg is improving the customer experience and why it was inspired by the company formerly known as Dunkin’ Donuts.
Policies & IssuesNov 18, 2024
Reciprocity Jewels Returns to NYC Jewelry WeekThe group will host several curated events and an exhibition of designer jewelry made with Peruvian gold traceable to the miners’ names.
CollectionsNov 18, 2024
Dolly Parton Shines in Collaboration with Kendra ScottThe collection honors the 50th anniversary of Dolly Parton’s “Love is Like a Butterfly” song, which shares a birth year with Kendra Scott.
Events & AwardsNov 18, 2024
IGI Jewelry Design Competition ReturnsThis year’s theme asks designers to take inspiration from classic fairy tales.
EditorsNov 15, 2024
Why Fine Jewelry Belongs at New York Comic ConSenior Editor Lenore Fedow makes the case for why more jewelers should be appealing to nerds at the annual event.
CollectionsNov 15, 2024
Marie Lichtenberg Battles Counterfeits with New ‘Raiz’in Scapular’ DesignsThe latest “Raiz’in” drop showcases a newly designed “Scapular” necklace and donates a portion of the proceeds to Make-A-Wish France.
WatchesNov 15, 2024
Piece of the Week: Citizen’s Commemorative Pocket WatchNo. 1 out of 100, the timepiece was created to mark Citizen’s 100th anniversary and will be auctioned off at Sotheby’s next month.
Recorded WebinarsNov 15, 2024
Watch: 10 Tips to Keep Your Jewelry Store Secure On the latest episode of “My Next Question,” two experts share best practices for store security during the holidays and year-round.
AuctionsNov 14, 2024
18th-Century Diamond Necklace Sells for Nearly $5M Sotheby’s sold the necklace, which potentially has ties to Marie-Antoinette, for $4.8 million to a woman bidding via phone.
MajorsNov 14, 2024
Saks Fifth Avenue Cancels Holiday Light DisplayInstead of its usual elaborate display, the store will illuminate its façade and frame the windows to highlight its flagship’s architecture.
