G? 1/4 belin Testing Nano-Tracking for Diamonds

RAPAPORT... G? 1/4 belin Gem Lab is studying how it can place microscopiclabels on diamonds to track them through the supply chain. The Swiss institute launched its Emerald Paternity Test in2017, applying invisible nanoparticles to rough stones to enable industrymembers and consumers to trace the goods back to an exact mine. It's currentlyonly practical for emeralds, as their numerous fissures make it easier toattach the billions of tiny tags and keep them stuck, G? 1/4 belin managing directorDaniel Nyfeler told Rapaport News Tuesday. The current feasibility study, which is at an early stage, looksat whether G? 1/4 belin can overcome some of the challenges involved in rolling itout to diamonds, using stones supplied by an unnamed company. "With diamonds, you simply don't have that [number] of structuralopenings and possibilities to insert something like a physical particle," Nyfelerexplained. G? 1/4 belin initially considered applying the same particles todiamonds that it already places on emeralds - namely, synthetic DNA containingencrypted data about the mine of origin, as well as which company unearthed therough, and when. With emeralds, anyone who wants to obtain that information cansubmit the stone to an authorized lab that retrieves, analyses and decodes the identifiers. However, the common practice of boiling rough diamonds inhydrofluoric acid to clean them is a further hindrance, as it would kill the material that protects the DNA, making the approach impossible. "The cleaning processes that diamonds are subjected to areeven one level nastier than what they do with emeralds," Nyfeler added. Even if the lab can solve that difficulty, the labels generallydon't survive the diamond-cutting phase, as polishers usually try to remove theimperfections that would store them, he noted. Emeralds don't have that problem,as the stones have so many cracks - sometimes miniscule - that enough of themremain after cutting. Within two or three years Instead, G? 1/4 belin is looking at alternative nano-tags thatcould at least stay intact from the mine to the manufacturing stage, or othertechnologies entirely that would have a better chance of working furtherdownstream, Nyfeler said. He declined to say what those options were, but predictedthat either G? 1/4 belin or a competitor would probably find a successful solution withinthe next few years. "I don't think it's going to take more than two or threeyears until we are going to have something that allows tracking from the sourceto the cutting wheel - maybe even beyond the cutting wheel," he said. "Seeing the intensity of research beingdone in the area, I would assume it won't take [more than that] till either usor someone else comes up with the technology." The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) already recordsrough stones' dimensions,spectroscopic readings and imaging for its Diamond Origin Report, an evolutionof its M2M provenance program,a GIA spokesperson confirmed. Through that, it can trace a diamond from roughto polished, determining its country of origin. However, G? 1/4 belin's Nyfeleris not aware of any existing diamond-tracking programs that use nanoparticles. G? 1/4 belin, which mainly focuses on colored gemstones, has beenseeking ways of improving transparency in the jewelry industry. Last week, itlaunched its Provenance Proof Blockchain, which records gemstone transactions from mine toconsumer. It's not actively marketing it to the diamond trade, but users canupload diamonds, and Nyfeler hopes diamond-focused blockchains such as DeBeers' Tracr and Richline Group's TrustChain platform will exchange data with itin the future. Image: A rough diamond in kimberlite. (Shutterstock)