The GIA said last week that it has developed “a fully automated system to rapidly and accurately analyze and sort round D-to-Z melee-size

Diamonds”. This, the institute explained, was done to  address concerns in the gem and jewellery industry about the possibility of synthetic or treated diamonds being mixed into parcels of melee.

Further, the GIA announced that the  pilot for its  Melee Analysis Service will be launched in June 2016 at its  laboratory in New York.  The institute invited all current clients wishing to participate in the pilot to contact their client service representative. “The service will be offered at all GIA locations, with the roll out beginning in the third quarter of 2016,” GIA said.

“This system, which incorporates proven instrumentation, standards and processes used in GIA laboratories, will give the industry and consumers

confidence in the characteristics, including colour, of these most prevalent stones,” said Tom Moses, GIA’s Executive Vice President and Chief Laboratory and Research Officer.

Natural, untreated diamonds will be separated from simulants and potentially synthetic or treated diamonds by GIA’s Melee Analysis Service. The screened diamonds will also be sorted by colour range; and clients can specify a size range for their parcel as well.   GIA expects to  process about 1,800 stones per hour around the clock.

“The system can accommodate stones from 1.1 to 3.8 mm in diameter  (approximately 0.005 ct to about 0.20 ct.),” GIA stated. “The cost of the service ranges from eight to 30 cents (U.S.) per stone based on diameter, with a minimum of 500 pieces in each parcel. Once sorted, the melee will be sealed in secure packaging for shipment directly to a third party – upon request and when permissible – or back to the submitting client.”