DIAMOND SIMULANTS, SYNTHETICS AND TREATMENTS COURSE
OBJECTIVE
IDEAL FOR: Senior retail professionals or experienced pawnbrokers involved in buying or selling loose diamonds or set jewellery.
This is a hands-on course designed for those who have a basic understanding of diamonds. This one-day course gives delegates a chance to see and handle diamond simulants, synthetics and treated diamonds, giving them confidence in identifying them in the retail environment. Working with the 10x loupe, we will look at and compare natural diamonds and discuss how these products should be described and sold. Testing procedures and certification nomenclature will be explained. This course is designed with an emphasis on practical knowledge and how to apply it. The course provides 6 hours of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) activity.
REGISTRATION: 9.30 am
Refreshments are available throughout the day; a sandwich lunch is included in the course price.
COURSE CONTENT
Simulants
- A quick overview of natural diamonds and their properties
- Natural and synthetic diamond simulants and how to identify them.
- Common equipment used to identify diamonds and simulants
- A practical session giving delegates the opportunity to identify common natural and synthetic diamonds simulants
- How to spot the diamond!
- Discussion on terminology, trade names and nomenclature with regards to simulants.
Synthetics
- Definition of Synthetic diamond and discussion on nomenclature
- History of synthetic diamond production and discussion on the current state of the synthetics market.
- Methods used to produce synthetic gem-quality diamonds
- Gem quality Synthetic diamonds, what they look like and what features are used to identify them.
- Certification and laboratory identification of synthetics.
- A practical session looking at synthetic diamonds.
Treatments
- History of diamond treatments
- Treatments that alter clarity –laser drilling and fracture filling of diamonds
- Treatments that alter colour producing fancy colours (yellows ,pinks, blues ,greens ect)
- Treatments to improve lower colour diamonds to produce whiter stones.
- Certification, nomenclature and discussion on disclosure
- A practical session looking at the various treatments
- Conclusion and discussion