Scientists Launch Program to Track Diamond Origin

Two specialists in source verification have teamed up to provide consumers with precise origin information for natural and lab-grown diamonds.

Australian science organization Source Certain International will provide the technology for SCS Global Services’ Certification Standard for Sustainable Diamonds, it said Monday. That technology will enable SCS to state the mine of origin on the document — or, in the case of synthetics, the lab that grew it.

Source Certain’s technology analyzes the naturally occurring chemical and trace metal markers present in natural and lab-grown diamonds, which enables the company to pinpoint a diamond’s origin, whether from a mine or a lab, the company explained.

“Everything we need to know about a diamond’s origin is already present in it,” said Source Certain chief scientist John Watling. “We study the unique relationship between selected trace and ultra-trace elements to establish a ‘fingerprint’ used to identify the trace elemental signature unique to [where] the diamond was formed.”

SCS first introduced its sustainability certification for lab-grown diamonds in 2019 in an effort to reassure consumers their stones had met rigorous environmental and social standards.