Consumer Confidence in Diamonds

Diamonds Index

Diamonds in Their Natural State

De Beers Confident Consumer

Consumer Confidence
Consumers expect to purchase diamonds in their natural state. Anything that could affect the confidence of consumers when purchasing diamond jewellery is potentially damaging to both the De Beers Group and the diamond industry.

Confidence, mystique and integrity can be eroded if consumers are misled into purchasing treated diamonds, synthetic (man-made) diamond material or diamond simulants in the belief that they are untreated or natural as the case may be.

• Maintaining the integrity and mystique of diamonds on behalf of the consumer is at the core of the Diamond Trading Company (DTC) Consumer Confidence Programme, which promotes the application of the DTC Diamond Best Practice Principles.
• The Diamond Best Practice Principles are designed to ensure the clear disclosure to consumers of synthetics, treated diamonds and diamond simulants.
• A keen eye is kept on developments within the diamond industry to safeguard both industry and consumer confidence in the integrity of natural diamonds.
• In response to trade concerns about the use of treatments that can change the natural appearance and other properties of diamonds, the DTC has funded educational programmes in association with leading trade bodies and provides educational seminars to the trade and gemmological laboratories.

Disclosure of synthetics, treated diamonds and diamond simulants requires simple and effective means of detection. The Consumer Confidence Technical Research Group at the DTC Research Centre, through basic research, has developed practical solutions and instruments, mainly for use at gemmological laboratories, for the identification of synthetics, treated diamonds and diamond simulants.

Scientific Research and Practical Solutions

The DTC Research Centre is the scientific linchpin in the Consumer Confidence Programme. The objectives are to ensure the ready detection of:

• Synthetics
• Treated diamonds
• Diamond simulants

As the technologies for the manufacture of synthetics and the treatment of diamonds become more sophisticated and widespread the DTC Research Centre has maintained a level of research that has enabled it to anticipate potential developments in these areas.

DTC scientists undertake detailed research into diamond physics, to understand the smallest differences between:

• Natural diamonds
• Treated diamonds, and
• Synthetics.

Experimental diamond treatments and the manufacture of HPHT grown and chemical vapour deposited (CVD) synthetics are specially carried out for research to identify potential challenges to identification.

From the foundation of basic research, the DTC Research Centre develops techniques and instruments for use by gemmological laboratories world-wide to allow for rapid, cost-effective screening and detection of synthetics (both HPHT grown and CVD), treated diamonds and diamond simulants.

In particular, in collaboration with major gemmological laboratories, DTC scientists have made substantial progress into methods for the detection of HPHT treated natural diamonds. This intensive research is continuing in order to understand better the effect of HPHT treatment on all diamond types.

With the possibility of small numbers of polished synthetics entering the market, the DTC has devised two instruments for gemmological laboratories to screen all their diamonds, simply and rapidly, and test for 100% of synthetics:

• The DiamondSure(tm) tells the user whether a polished stone is a natural diamond or requires a second test to establish its identity.
• This second test is performed on the DiamondView(tm) which allows the user to identify definitively whether a referred stone is a natural diamond or a synthetic.

The DiamondSure and DiamondView instruments are now available for purchase. All enquiries should be made to GIA Instruments UK Ltd via the website http://www.giainstruments.co.uk.

CD Rom Diamonds Treatments, Synthetics and Simulants

The Diamond Trading Company has also produced a multimedia CD-ROM: DIAMONDS, Treatments, Synthetics and Simulants. This will enable you to explore the Consumer Confidence Technical Research discussed on these pages in greater depth. In particular, the CD-ROM includes the latest on research into diamond treatments and synthetics, with background information and video presentations on the screening and detection of synthetics using the DiamondSure™ and DiamondView™ verification instruments.

Spot the Spin

• Diamonds in Their Natural State

  Consumers expect to purchase diamonds in their natural state.
  Presumably De Beers have done some research finding that consumers prefer natural diamonds, but some hack working for them, or their P.R. company has made the mistake of saying "natural state". Natural state means rough and unpolished as shown in our photograph. If we took the meaning absolutely, natural state probably means covered in dirt, and still in the ground, so we think whoever wrote this particular phrase deserves dragging out into the street and shooting.
• Anything that could affect the confidence of consumers when purchasing diamond jewellery is potentially damaging to both the De Beers Group...
  Ah!, now we can see the direction of the spin. De Beers are worried that any reduction in "consumer confidence" could harm their profits, and it would seem as though they think synthetic diamonds or enhancements will compete with their markets.
• ...and the diamond industry
  De Beers almost is the diamond industry.
• Confidence, mystique and integrity can be eroded if consumers are misled into purchasing treated diamonds, synthetic (man-made) diamond material or diamond simulants in the belief that they are untreated or natural as the case may be.
  We applaud De Beers efforts to uphold confidence and integrity by helping to protect consumers from being misled. When it comes to mystique, our copy of Oxford English Dictionary defines mystique as "The atmosphere of mystery and veneration investing some doctrines, arts, professions, or personages, any professional skill or technique which is designed to mystify and impress the layman.", further mystify is defined as "To bewilder or perplex intentionally; to play on the credulity of; to hoax, humbug". This leaves us wondering whether it should be a desirable aim to encourage consumers to be mystified. Surely it is more desirable to try to educate and inform consumers rather than to perplex, bewilder and hoax them.
• The Diamond Trading Company has also produced a multimedia CD-ROM: DIAMONDS, Treatments, Synthetics and Simulants.
  Great!, but it forgot to add a link stating how and where to obtain a copy, or to give any details about cost, or to include an e-mail enquiry link. Strange!
• We will try to obtain a copy of the CD ROM and report further on both our progress and the CD.

Notes
We found the article on the debeersgroup.com website at: http://www.debeersgroup.com/DebeersWeb/About+De+Beers/De+Beers+World+Wide/Diamond+Trading+Company+%28Dtc%29/Consumer+Confidence.htm.

The Rise & Fall of Diamonds
A 1982 published book about De Beers and the diamond industry by Edward Jay Epstein.

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