The Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) and the Bharat Diamond Bourse (BDB) jointly organised the third edition of the Diamond Detection Expo & Symposium (DDES) from 23rd to 25th April on the BDB premises. DDES was first conceptualised around three years ago as a means of safeguarding consumer confidence in diamonds and promoting ethical business practices after a rising number of cases where undisclosed synthetic diamonds were mixed with natural diamonds were discovered.
The three-day event was aimed at creating an opportunity for companies providing synthetic diamond detection machines and equipment along with leading laboratories and service providers to interact with trade members to impart knowledge on various techniques to detect synthetic diamonds.
DDES 2018 was inaugurated by the US Consul General in Mumbai, Edgard D. Kagan, along with GJEPC chairman Pramod Agrawal. Also present on the occasion were BDB president Anoop Mehta, GJEPC ex-chairman Praveenshankar Pandya, GJEPC ex-vice chairman Russell Mehta, GJEPC chief executive director Sabyasachi Ray, BDB vice president Mehul Shah, and GJEPC international exhibitions sub-committee co-convenor, Dilip Shah.
The seven exhibiting companies – GIA, GII, IIDGR, IGI, DRC Techno, KDL Impex, and Yehuda – are among the world’s leading gemmological laboratories and providers of synthetic diamond detection machines and equipment.
In a series of seminars held on all three days, the leading labs made presentations on the latest technological advancements in the detection of synthetic diamonds. Among the topics discussed were Chinese Synthetic Diamonds and Detection/Identification by NGTC & GII; New Trends in Synthetic Diamonds by IGI; and Loss of Consumer Trust and How to Get It Back with ‘Chain Of Custody’ by DRC Techno.
NGTC, which has signed a Letter of Intent with GII, discussed about its various educational, training and research programmes, facilities, technology and roles as well as China’s HPHT synthetic diamond production, which is the largest in the world. The country’s CVD diamond production too is rapidly expanding, supported by advanced infrastructure and technology. n