KGK Group, an Indian diamond manufacturer headquartered in Hong Kong and a De Beers sightholder, has announced it will be the first company to adopt De Beers Group's AMS Micro diamond screening device.
Developed over two years, De Beers Group's AMS Micro can screen up to 2,500 diamonds per hour in the 0.6mm to 0.9mm size range, automatically separating natural diamonds from lab-grown diamonds and other materials with a 0% false positive rate and a referral rate of less than 3%.
A first-of-its-kind ‘robotic arm’ automated feed and dispense function, which requires no specialist expertise and can save users on average five days for every 100 carats screened.
Sarandos Gouvelis, Head of De Beers Group Ignite that developed the device, said: “AMS Micro represents an important breakthrough for the industry, as it greatly improves screening of the smallest sizes of diamonds. It comes to market following years of dedicated research and development by our leading scientists, and will be a game-changer for diamond businesses that deal in large volumes of melee diamonds.”
Patrik Schäfer, CEO of KGK’s Swiss office, said: "The KGK Group has been impressed by the innovation and capabilities offered by AMS Micro, which revolutionises the approach for screening diamonds in this size range, and we are excited about the long term benefits it will deliver to our business by providing enhanced assurance to our customers.”
Aruna Gaitonde, Editor in Chief of the Asian Bureau, Rough & Polished
