The Indian diamond industry may soon be in a position to add a new chapter to its remarkably sparkling history by starting the cutting and polishing of hi-tech man-made diamonds and supplying the resultant new-era cut and polished diamonds both to the domestic and overseas markets.

Lending support to such a possibility in the near future, S. Clark McEwen, Chief Operating Officer of the Gemesis Corporation, Florida, USA which has already started commercial production of such high-tech diamonds, told the ‘Diamond World’ in an exclusive interview that his firm is contemplating to appoint soon some Indian firms as its regular outlets. This may revolutionize the diamond and jewellery industries in the coming years. Excerpts :

When did you start commercial production of such man-made diamonds?

We have started it since September 2005.

From where did you get the necessary technology or did you develop it yourself?

The basic know-how for this was obtained from Russia. That was further developed by us to make it commercially viable. This technology helps in creating on the surface of the earth similar conditions of High Temperature and High Pressure which convert carbon into diamonds at great depths.

From where do you get the machines to produce such hi-tech man-made diamonds?

Earlier we had imported one such machine from Russia. However it had to be modified to make it commercially suitable. We did that ourselves. Now we are ourselves assembling such machines by procuring the necessary components from a number of outside suppliers.

How many of these high-tech machines have you set up so far? What are your plans to enlarge your establishment?

Several such machines are in operation in our factory and we continue to add one more machine almost every two days. This process is going to continue.

Can you give some idea of the actual volume of your production?

We are already producing hundreds of thousands of carats of man-made diamonds. Our production will continue to rise with the constant expansion of our manufacturing capacity. Already the demand for man-made diamonds is rising. Can you please give some idea of the range of sizes of the man-made diamonds produced by your company?

Each Diamond Unique:

They are available in sizes ranging from 4 grainers to 4 caraters. The average size could be around 2.5 carats. Like mined diamonds, each such diamond is unique.

What about the color range of these diamonds?

We can produce such diamonds either colorless or in fancy colors like yellow, orange, blue, green or even pink. However, currently we are concentrating on the production of diamonds of yellow and orange colors as they are in brisk demand and enjoy a niche market.

What is the approximate difference between the retail price of a polished diamond produced from mined rough and the one produced from man-made rough, when both are of the same size?

The difference can be very wide. Polished diamonds produced from man-made rough might be available at about 30 per cent of the price of a polished natural gem of the same size produced from mined rough.

How do you gauge the present demand for such man-made diamonds and their future scope?

The present demand is really very good looking to the fact that we are able to sell our entire production as soon as it becomes available from the factory. As consumers get more educated and aware of the fact that these man-made diamonds have the same physical, chemical and optical properties as those possessed by natural diamonds and yet they are much cheaper than the latter, consumers may continue to turn to man-made diamonds increasingly. That explains why we are continuously augmenting our production capacity. Selling such diamonds is not going to be a problem.

Do you supply man-made diamonds in the form of roughs or polished goods?

We supply these in the form of roughs. It is for the cutting and polishing units to process them and for the jewellery manufacturers to make use of them.

Sales Strategy:

What is your system for the sale of such man-made rough ? Do you follow the system of having some regular clients like Sightholders or do you sell these diamonds through tenders, or any other system?

We prefer the system of having regular clients, so that our clients can depend on regular supplies from us. How many regular clients have you enrolled ? Where are they located?

India in Focus:

Currently we have 10 regular clients. They are in the USA and South Africa. As our production expands we may be in a position to appoint more clients in other countries. For instance we are exploring the possibility of appointing some regular clients in India now.

Since India has the mega diamond cutting and polishing industry in the world, is Gemesis contemplating to set up an office here?

No, there are no such plans so far.

If some diamond manufacturing units in India decide to add man-made diamonds to their portfolio on a regular basis, how can they do so?

They are welcome to contact us directly. As our production grows we may be in a position to accommodate more clients including Indian aspirants.

In what respect these hi-tech man-made diamonds differ from the mined ones? Do leading diamond laboratories accept them as diamonds?

There is absolutely no difference. They have the same optical, physical and chemical properties. Technically, hardness, specific gravity, refractive index as well as dispersion are the same for both. Hence leading laboratories have started grading them as diamonds and issuing the necessary certificates. These hi-tech man-made diamonds can be polished using the same techniques and technology as the manufacturing units are currently using to process the mined natural roughs. The only difference between the two is that while the mined diamond is produced deep underground by natural forces, man-made diamonds are produced on the surface of the earth by providing similar pressure and heat.