Synthetic Diamond ID Kit with three portable instruments and two instruction booklets for the identification of synthetic diamonds

MGCJ founder and Conference Chair Branko Deljanin said that during the past years, due to the influx of melee-sized synthetic diamonds into the market, various instruments producers and gemmological laboratories had launched screening and detection instruments to help dealers and jewellers identify undisclosed synthetic diamonds.

"The problem is that good spectrometers are very expensive, costing from $10,000 to as much as $125,000 and that only few laboratories can afford them. As a result, there are too few labs in the market that have sufficient funds and experience to confidently and positively identify synthetic diamonds," Deljanin stated.

"Consequently, most of the instruments used are inaccurate 'testers' or 'screening devices' that just can indicate if a stone is a Type I or Type II diamond but cannot provide a definite answer to if the stone is of natural or of synthetic origin!" he continued.

The new portable synthetic diamond identification kit is the result of the collaboration between Deljanin, who is Chief Gemmologist of CGL-GRS Swiss Canadian Gemlab in Vancouver; George Spyromilios, Director of the Independent Gemological Laboratory Hellas (IGL), of Athens, Greece; John Chapman, of the Australian gemmological instruments manufacturer Gemetrix; and Dominic Mok, Director of the Hong Kong-based Asian Gemmological Institute and Laboratory (AGIL). Their combined experience, gathered during their many decades of research and work, and collated during three annual Mediterranean Gemmological Conferences and more than 30 workshops given in 16 countries, ultimately led to the development of the new identification kit.

During the past months, MGJ Conference founders Branko Deljanin and George Spyromilios first introduced the portable synthetic diamond identification kit atworkshops at Swarovski headquarters in Austria; at the booth of CGL-GRS Swiss Canadian Gemlab at the AGTA Show in Tucson. They also demonstrated the kit at the annual conferences of the National Association of Jewelry Appraisers (NAJA) and the Accredited Gemologists Association (AGA), both in Tucson, and to the Valuers of Australia and New Zealand. AGS members will have a chance to test the kit at workshops during the AGS Conclave in upcoming April.

Here are a few of the workshops planned for the MGCJ in Montenegro, in May:

• Branko Deljanin, principal ofCGL-GRS Swiss Canadian Gemlab of Vancouver, Canada, will guide participants through his workshop on "The identification of treated synthetic diamonds and treated natural diamonds, loose and mounted."Branko will have synthetic melee diamonds and larger synthetic diamonds on site.

• Yuri Shelementiev, managing director of the Moscow State University Gemmological Centre, Russia and Branko Deljanin will hold half day intermediate level workshops on "The Identification of emeralds, rubies and sapphires," with samples of natural, treated and synthetic gems from a few sources.

• Menahem Sevdermish and Guy Borenstein (Gemewizard, Israel) will hold a workshop on "Ruby, sapphire, emerald and fancy coloured diamonds grading"and explain how to determine their quality and value.

• Alberto Scarani and Mikko Åström, of M&A Gemological Instruments (MAGI), will give a workshop on "Advanced diamond instruments." They will demonstrate VIS, FTIR, EXA and PL advanced spectrometers for the detection of synthetic diamonds.

• Antoinette Matlins, AGA will deliver a workshop on "Unusual uses of portable, affordable tools in Identifying most gems In the marketplace."

The following books, as well as standard and advanced instruments will be available on site for testing and purchase:

• 2017 Handbook with images and explanation of LW/SW reactions of natural treated and synthetic diamonds of all types (ID kit by MGJC);

• 2010 Handbook with images and explanation of CPF reactions of natural and synthetic diamonds of all types (ID kit by MGJC);

• PL Inspector (Mini UV lamp with magnifier) to inspect synthetic, treated and natural diamonds using LW and SW fluorescence (ID kit by MGJC).;

• Mini folded polariscope with portable light to separate natural diamonds with characteristic pattern for HPHT and CVD diamonds (ID kit by MGJC);

• Jewellery Inspector by Gemetrix allows observation of the SW and LW UV reactions, including phosphorescence, of diamonds set in jewellery;

• A Melee Inspector by Gemetrix allows the examination for synthetic (HPHT) melee in a parcel of melee diamonds;

• EXA natural diamond detector by MAGlLABS for the screening/identification of mounted or loose diamonds;

• SYNTHdetect by IIDGR (DeBeers) for the screening of mounted or loose diamonds.

More information on 2018 MGJ Conference program and latest portable identification instruments and booklets can be found at www.gemconference.com

Old town of Budva, Montenegro

Hotel "Mediterranean," Budva, Montenegro