HPHT Treatment (7.40)
General Electric and LKI (Lazare Kaplan, Inc.) developed the method of HPHT (high pressure high temperature) to lighten or intensify color in natural diamonds -- type IIa browns -- trademarking it “Bellataire” (formerly Pegasus). This newest scare and sensation has many people in the business concerned, due to its non-detection by several labs in the U.S. to which LKI submitted their newest treatment.
The subsidiary POL (Pegasus Overseas Limited), owned by LKI, has promised to laser inscribe the girdle of every Bellataire diamond for obvious identification. Of course this can be easily removed, either inadvertently during the process of a re-cut, or on purpose to deceive the unwary buyer.
Other manufacturers are getting into the production of HPHT diamonds, so it’s inevitable that these types of treated diamonds will eventually appear in your business.
The likely standard in detection methods will eventually involve spectrophotometer and photoluminescence analysis. Being informed on these methods is the best way to combat the possibility of fraud. For future reference, bookmark the following websites for updated detection methods.
www.gis.net/~adamas/gehpht.html
www.gia.org/news/
www.professionaljeweler.com/archives/news/arcnews/
