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The De Beers DiamondView (L) and the Yehuda Sherlock Holmes (R) correctly identified all synthetic diamonds

Synthetic diamond detectors put to the test

Posted March 19, 2019 | By Arabella Roden • Former editor

The US-based Diamond Producers Association (DPA) in association with Signet Jewelers have released the results of their synthetic diamond detector test.

The third-party verified test was designed to measure how effective 18 detectors – ranging in price from US$599 to US$63,000 – were at identifying natural, lab-grown and simulated diamonds from a ‘deliberately challenging’ sample of 1,400 stones; 1,000 natural, 200 synthetic and 200 simulated.

It also listed whether the detectors required expert operators, if they work on mounted gems, and how quickly they produced results.

Two detectors – the Yehuda Sherlock Holmes (priced at US$6,495) and the De Beers DiamondView (US$35,000) – correctly identified all the synthetic diamonds. The Yehuda mislabelled 2.5 per cent of mined gems as synthetic, while the De Beers model did not misidentify any stones.

The DPA has compiled the results into a free directory called the Assure Program, which is available on its website.

DPA CEO Jean-Marc Lieberherr said: “Through the Assure Program, we will support the diamond trade, from independent jewellery retailers to large diamond manufacturers, to make informed decisions on how to ensure that undisclosed laboratory-grown diamonds do not enter their natural-diamond supply chain.”