De Beers Group Ignite launches new diamond verification tool

De Beers Group Ignite has launched its latest diamond verification instrument, AMS Micro, to offer “rapid”, “automated” and “autonomous” screening of high volumes of the smallest melee diamonds.

The first AMS Micro instrument will be delivered to the Swiss office of leading diamond manufacturer De Beers Group Sightholder, KGK, at the end of February.

According to the group, AMS Micro “complements” De Beers Group Ignite’s suite of diamond verification instruments, which provide solutions for screening diamonds of all sizes to “underpin confidence in diamond companies’ product integrity”.

Following more than two years of development, AMS Micro can screen up to 2,500 diamonds per hour in the 0.6mm to 0.9mm size range, automatically separating natural diamonds from lab-grown diamonds and other materials with a 0% false positive rate and a referral rate of less than 3%.

These “high accuracy” rates have the potential to deliver savings of up to 50% on laboratory costs, depending on screening volumes.

The instrument features a robotic arm automated feed and dispense function, which requires no expertise or outside supervision to operate and can save users on average five days for every 100 carats screened.

Sarandos Gouvelis, head of De Beers Group Ignite, said: “De Beers Group Ignite is committed to protecting the integrity of natural diamonds and supporting our customers to have confidence throughout their supply chain. Every lab-grown diamond can be distinguished from natural diamonds due to their different growth structures.

“The innovative technology offered by our comprehensive suite of diamond verification instruments – which deliver results in mere moments – plays a critical role in underpinning trade confidence and in supporting the ongoing differentiation between natural and lab-grown diamonds.”

He added: “AMS Micro represents an important breakthrough for the industry, as it greatly improves screening of the smallest sizes of diamonds by automating this process with very high levels of speed, accuracy and reliability – saving users significant time and money compared with existing manual processes.

“It comes to market following years of dedicated research and development by our leading scientists, working in collaboration with industry participants, and will be a game-changer for diamond businesses that deal in large volumes of melee diamonds.”