DE BEERS GROUP TO HOST FANCY COLOUR DIAMOND GRADING AND TESTING DEMONSTRATIONS AT CHRISTIE’S EVENT

Museum-quality ‘Rare Treasures of the Earth’ exhibition presents a unique, consumer-facing opportunity for De Beers Group Institute of Diamonds.

De Beers Group Institute of Diamonds will showcase its expertise in diamond grading, testing and educational services as part of a new collaborative exhibition with auction house, Christie’s.

‘Rare Treasures of the Earth’ – a museum-quality public exhibition of exceptional fancy colour diamonds and gemstones – will take place at Christie’s in London from 8-12 November 2019. The event marks the start of a new partnership between De Beers Group Institute of Diamonds and Christie’s and reflects a shared dedication to expertise, knowledge and scholarship in the diamond sector.
 
With over 130 years of diamond grading experience, De Beers Group Institute of Diamonds has graded the vast majority of diamonds in the ‘Rare Treasures of the Earth’ exhibition. This includes red, purple, blue and pink diamonds of extraordinary size and quality. Its grading services are renowned for utilising the latest De Beers Group technology to provide support in areas such as treatment detection, laboratory-grown diamond identification and meticulous colour grading.
 
In keeping with the ethos of the exhibition, De Beers Group Institute of Diamonds exclusively grades natural and untreated diamonds that reflect the very best nature has to offer.
 
During the event, De Beers Group Institute of Diamonds will host a series of interactive hands-on demonstrations for independent retailers, private consumers and the press, giving insights into every stage of grading and testing rare fancy coloured diamonds.
 
Highlights will include a diamond grading station, where guests can see a spectrum of diamond colours and test their skills by correctly assigning a colour grade to a ‘mystery’ stone. An on-site mini laboratory with gemmological microscopes will also allow visitors to learn about diamond clarity by plotting inclusions and discover more about cut grading by comparing light performance in a trio of diamonds.
 
Visitors will also be invited to view a De Beers Group Institute of Diamonds table inscription under the microscope. This propriety in-house inscription process, which is unique to De Beers Group, applies a minuscule inscription to a diamond that is only visible under magnification. This process is a major step forward in grading security and offers far greater assurances that a graded diamond is correctly identified and matched to its associated report.
 
Jonathan Kendall, President of De Beers Group Institute of Diamonds, said: “With our expertise and experience in the industry, we believe we are the natural choice of partner for Christie’s for these rare and high-value diamonds, all of which will be available to purchase with De Beers Group Institute of Diamonds grading reports, providing Christie’s clientele with complete assurance and peace of mind. This exhibition provides a fantastic opportunity for us to engage directly with the end-consumer and share the wealth of knowledge we have on diamond origin, rarity, colour, grading and testing. With our shared passion for these miracles of nature, this is a perfect partnership and we look forward to developing our relationship with Christie’s further.”
 
‘Rare Treasures of the Earth’ is curated by Christie’s Jewellery Private Sales and its Natural History Department. Rare diamonds, gemstones and minerals in the exhibition will be available for immediate purchase by private clients who form part of an extensive network of collectors and professionals around the world.
 
Since rebranding from IIDGR, the De Beers Group Institute of Diamonds, part of De Beers Group Industry Services, has focused on promoting its four core areas: natural diamond grading, diamond testing, pioneering instruments and industry education. Popular courses include a one-day laboratory-grown diamond detection workshop and a one-day introduction to the 4Cs course that is especially targeted at retail staff.
 
Find out more about the De Beers Group Institute of Diamonds and its range of industry services by visiting: debeersgroupservices.com