JUNIOR MINING
lab-grown diamonds. Industry heavy-weight, De Beers, uses technologies like DiamondView, DiamondSure, and DiamondProof to differentiate between natural and lab-grown diamonds. DiamondView analyses fluorescence and growth patterns, DiamondSure detects a specific absorption line, and DiamondProof verifies natural diamonds based on their unique chemical composition. These tools help retailers and consumers to distinguish between natural diamonds and other stones, including lab-grown diamonds. “Technically and scientifically, there’s always been an ability to differentiate between lab grown and natural diamonds. With mass production, these advanced tools have become more affordable, encouraging retailers to purchase them for clarification, especially for large purchases such as wedding jewellery.” According to Smart, diamonds are the only commodity mined that has a predominant gender bias. “Diamonds are mined and marketed for men to gift to women. Essentially, the premise is that if one really values a partner, a natural diamond is the appropriate gift, especially as a wedding gift.” India, the second-largest global consumer of diamonds, is a rapidly growing market for diamond jewellery. “Bridal parties, particularly in India, are turning to the latest technologies to authenticate that the diamonds purchased are mined diamonds.” De Beers’ latest marketing campaign, “Love From Dad”, encouraging fathers to purchase natural diamond earrings for their daughters’ second ear piercings, is boosting natural diamond sales in India. The collection aims to strengthen the bond between fathers and daughters and position diamonds as a meaningful gift for this occasion. The “Love From Dad” marketing initiative was launched in July, this year. Unlocking multi commodity opportunity Is the alluvial diamond pathway strewn with critical minerals? Smart says that research is underway by diamond producing regions to test the theory that alluvial diamond mining operations are accompanied by critical minerals such as rare earths. If proven
“Local diamond producers have a small volume of exceptionally high value stones, unlike our counterparts elsewhere in Africa who are blessed with a higher value small stone. As such, our diamond producing neighbours carry their costs better, because the diamonds mined fall into the category of what we term bridal goods i.e., stones ranging from half-a-carat up to three carats. Over the past year, the price of natural diamonds in the category of three carats and above has started to rise again, which is fantastic news for the South African small-scale miners that focus on the recovery of very low grade per ton of ore mined, but very high value stones greater than three carats.” Technology driver Lab grown diamonds have become strong competition to natural diamonds largely because they are regarded as more affordable and as a more ethical and sustainable choice compared to mined diamonds. Marketed as chemically, physically, and optically identical to natural diamonds lab-grown and natural diamonds are virtually indistinguishable to the naked eye; however, they can be differentiated through specialised gemological testing. Interestingly, technology to validify natural diamonds has become the catalyst encouraging the purchase of natural over
38 MODERN MINING www.modernminingmagazine.co.za | February 2026
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