Diamond security specialist, Opsydia, has revealed its subsurface laser technology can now place permanent identifiers in melee diamonds without affecting their surface polish.
The firm said that diamonds that are just 0.5 millimetres in diameter can have an alphanumeric sequence, coded shape or logo placed beneath their surface to create a physical link to a supply chain record or branded jewellery origin.
The “precise capabilities” of the Opsydia System allow for high-resolution lines, approximately ~1um (0.001mm) in width, meaning legible characters can be achieved at much smaller sizes in comparison to industry-standard surface marking systems.
Opsydia has directed this technological advancement towards supporting the trade by collaborating with the Natural Diamond Council (NDC) on the latest phase of its Assure Diamond Verification initiative.
The Assure Program 2.0, which assesses the relative performance of Diamond Verification Instruments available on the market, utilises an ‘ASSURE Sample’ of melee stones (including individual stones of less than 1mm in size) to test each device on its effectiveness at identifying and/or recognising natural diamonds, laboratory-grown diamonds and diamond simulants.
To aid manufacturers, Opsydia said it has placed unique serial numbers beneath the surface of all stones in the Assure Sample, therefore allowing the creators of ASSURE Tested Diamond Verification Instruments to discover which stones their devices mis-identified.
The information, which will be accessible to manufacturers, will allow engineers to “improve the effectiveness of their diamond detection devices and will, as a result, benefit the
trade as it fights for accurate disclosure”.
Raluca Anghel, head of External Affairs and Industry Relations at the NDC, said: “We are pleased to collaborate with Opsydia on this latest phase of the Assure Program as we value their ongoing commitment to innovation.
“Being able to accurately identify melee diamonds, laboratory-grown diamonds and diamond simulants will allow the Assure program to provide greater feedback to manufacturers and will contribute towards further learning, technical advancement and above all, ensure consumer protection.”
Opsydia CEO, Andrew Rimmer, added: “With this technology, the natural diamond trade has more opportunities to secure the identity of its products and use sub-surface features to create ‘fail safes’ within its supply chain.
“Similarly, luxury jewellery brands wishing to fight back against counterfeiting may wish to include an identifier in a specific pavé diamond and assure their customers that only pieces with this nano-scale identity feature are legitimate.”
