DDES ends with a sense of optimism

The GJEPC, along with BDB, successfully concluded  two day Diamond Detection Expo & Symposium on December 16, 2016, which saw the display of latest equipment and machinery to detect the synthetic diamonds, along with proficient talks and panel discussions with renowned experts from the trade. 

The first DDES featured all prominent laboratories and institutes involved in detection of synthetics including GIA India, HRD Antwerp, IGI, IIDGR from De Beers, GII, DRC Techno, GSI, Bruker and IDI-DDRC as the exhibitors. The Expert talks and Panel Discussions covered important topics pertaining to Synthetic diamonds, its detection & available technology. 

Praveenshankar Pandya, Chairman, GJEPC said, “The main motive for this industry is to ensure that we preserve consumer confidence in diamonds and we safeguard ourselves against any undisclosed mixing of Synthetics.” He also announced the formation of a Natural Diamond Monitoring Committee alias NDMC in Surat on the lines of NDMC, Mumbai. 

Mr. Anoop Mehta, President BDB added, “The industry is working to ensure that every business would be able to install detection machines within their offices. This is very much possible if demand for the technology increases bringing the unit cost of each machine within reach for even the smallest businesses. It is very essential to draw a parallel with digital technology that had completely replaced the old diamond weighing scales in a matter of a little more than a decade." 

Mr. Russell Mehta, Vice Chairman, GJEPC said, "At this point it's not about the size of Diamond for detection but the main issue is how quickly we can detect it and how affordable it is." 

On the first day of  DDES, there werre seminars addressed by Industry experts as Speakers & Panelists, the prominent and renowned one’s like Dr. Philip Martineau from IIDGR from De Beers who spoke about the current situation in diamond detection industry, Dr. Jean Pierre Chalain from SSEF who addressed about the Melle size, large throughput and even spoke about ASDI automated spectral diamond inspection, Dr.Thomas Hainschwang from GGTL who spoke about coloured diamond detection and identification of the lab grown diamond, Mr. Wuyi Wang from GIA spoke about the advances in CVD technology and the challenges associated for detection, Mrs. Seema Ashish Athavale from GSI shared the information on man-made diamond and the natural diamond, Mr. Kaushal Sharma from Bruker Optik spoke about Infra-Red spectroscopy. 

Industry’s one of the leading laboratories, GII is the Knowledge Partner of the Event. 

On the second day there was a panel discussion on “Synthetic Diamonds: Implications for the Industry”. The Panel Discussion had the participation of Anoop Mehta, President BDB; Russell Mehta, Vice Chairman, GJEPC; Ashish Mehta, Convener, NDMC; C K Venkataraman - CEO Jewellery, Titan Company Limited; and Thomas Moses, Executive Vice President and Chief Laboratory and Research Officer, GIA. It was moderated by Neelesh Hundekari, Partner, Asia Pacific, A.T. Kearney. 

The panel concluded that the most effective way of tackling the illicit mixing of synthetics with natural diamonds was, firstly,  to quickly develop low cost machines which all traders could use; Secondly, to develop a system and maintain necessary documentation, and Thirdly, to spread awareness about the issue and the urgency surrounding it as widely as possible. 

It was followed by a seminar conducted by Ellen Barrie from HRD Antwerp on screening and detection of lab grown diamond, followed by another seminar by Thomas Moses from NY EVP, chief Lab & Research officer and Wuyi Wang from GIA on Advancement in Diamond Treatment. 

Moreover, the DDES witnessed more than 7000 visitors and 1100 plus attendees during Seminars over the span of two days from Mumbai, Delhi, Surat in addition to Jaipur, Lucknow and other cities across India.