Diamond R&D unit set up in Mumbai

The GII along with Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC), Bharat Diamond Bourse, Diamond Exporters Association, and the Gem and Jewellery Exporters' Association have jointly set up a National Research Centre (NRC) in Mumbai with an investment of Rs 15 crore.

The NRC will be engaged in certification, training students and new entrepreneurs and initiate market-based research.

The trade body will promote grading of diamonds and will research synthetic diamonds and HPHT treated diamonds.

While inaugurating NRC, S N Menon, secretary, Union Ministry of Commerce, said that the central Government should immediately re-look into the problems of turnover tax, brokerage of foreign firms, VAT, stamp duty and import duty for polished diamonds.

The gems and jewellery diamond industry would benifit once the NRC comes into operation by December 2006. In order to make the Centre operational, a wide gamut of plant and machinery has already been imported.

The machinery, "Raman Spectroscope", developed by the well known scientist C V Raman costs Rs 1.5 crore.

"Despite having mass penetration in rural areas, synthetic diamond has not harmed the overall business but it is something the consumer should be aware of", said Kirtilal Doshi, chairman of Gemmological Institute of India (GII).

"The introduction of newer methods of synthesis of various gemstones such as Ramura, Kashan, Koyserra in case of rubies; Biron, Sicko, Gilson in case of emerald and Sumitomo, GEC, Russian, High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT process and the CVD process in the case of diamonds have shaken up the industry," Doshi added.

Developments such as colour enhancement along with treatments such as heat, dye, epoxi, wax, irradiation for coloured gemstone and laser, glass filling, and HPHT for diamonds have caught the industry in a whirl-wind, Doshi pointed out. On the other hand, India is also emerging as the largest consumer of studded jewellery in the world.

The chairman of the GJEPC, Bakul Mehta informed that opening of such a laboratory will enhance the confidence of consumers in diamond and studded jewellery.

However, the government should extend the financial support for more such project.