Gemcamp recognises the growing threat of undisclosed man-made (a.k.a. lab-grown) diamonds in Southeast Asia. Values between natural VS lab-grown or man-made diamonds are distinctly different, and therefore a clear separation is key to proper purchasing or selling.




The issue lies with the advancement of technologies used to create these artificially-grown diamonds, which essentially are also made up of carbon atoms crystallized in diamond's characteristic mineral structure.

Older kinds, may faintly show tell-tale signs of their manufacturing process (hourglass zoning, remnant evidence of cuboctahedral growth, specific metallic inclusions, certain surface markings etc.), as we have previously seen in some specimens brought to the laboratory. These can be used by gemologists as aids for the detection of man-made stones, yes, however the diamonds being produced by companies today are getting much better shrouding themselves from gemologists.

People can now produce nearly strain-free specimens of D-colored, clear diamonds through developments in newer chemical vapor deposition processes and proprietary research.

There are now man-made diamonds that can look indistinguishable from natural stones to the naked eye, and to the microscope. The only differences lie in minute, but measurable reactions to the electromagnetic spectrum- such as phosphoresence and selective absorption, often within invisible wavelength ranges. This has worried a lot of our visitors, who look to their jewelry not just as luxuries, but as investments for the future.

(Note that standard "pen-hold" or thermal-conductivity based testers, as well as electrical-conductivity type testers [i.e. moissanite pen testers] will not be able to separate man-made diamonds from earth-mined ones. This is because their essential chemistry and crystal structure properties are the same with that of a natural diamond's. The complicated job of detecting one from the other is beyond the capability of these testers.

We here at the laboratory neither sell nor buy gemstones or gem-set jewelry, and so our only mission is to purposefully provide the Philippine public with the ability to discover the identities of what it is they are buying or already own.



At Gemcamp, we make use of spectrometric instrumentation, advanced detection software, and other gemological equipment imported from GIA in California, System Eickhorst in Germany, and many other reputable brands from around the world- leaders in the field of man-made diamond detection.

We now add GIA's latest instrument released, to our lab's expanding roster of technical lab equipment. Our G.G.'s will make use of its additional capabilities, to further help the Filipino jewelry buyer gain certainty about his or her item's authenticity as a natural gemstone.



As described by the Gemological Institute of America -The device uses sophisticated spectroscopy technology to distinguish the vast majority of natural diamonds—either loose or mounted—from man-made counterparts and simulants.

Again also, we would like to reiterate that there is nothing wrong or unethical about man-made diamonds on their own. They are beautiful and valuable products that cater to a fast growing international market. Many reputable jewelers in several countries also make use of man-made diamonds in their original designs.

Problems only arise when man-made diamonds are sold as natural diamonds, or without proper disclosure. As of our most recent research trip to the Hong Kong Jewelry fair, our gemologists have surveyed that man-made diamonds are being sold for about 40-60% the prices of equivalently graded natural counterparts. This is just data we've gathered on our own however, and we do not claim that it represents all valuation tables used worldwide. This is merely from our own observations and notes.

We urge the jewelry-buying population of the Philippines to have care and awareness for the items they seek to purchase. Because many kinds of man-made diamond are nearly undetectable by most visual methods as of late 2018, they are a favorite product-class of interest for potential fraudulent sellers.

Diamond remains to be the most frequently bought fine gemstone on planet earth, so simply learning how to evaluate them for their worth is a very essential skill in today's society. This is especially true for collectors, but also applies to everyone who's ever planned to buy an engagement ring, wedding band, or even anniversary jewelry pieces.



Jewelry seems to be the go-to gift for many people, due to the fact that value is held within its beauty. It's a lasting type of gift, rather than a fading one, like flowers or chocolate. This aside from the pure visual appeal of diamonds sparkling against shimmering bands of metal and gold.

When diamonds are priced, the number one criteria people seem to consider (aside from weight, obviously), is color. Near-colorless to colorless diamonds sell more per carat than rubies, sapphires and emeralds do per year. The colored stone market is approximately 10 to 15% of the diamond market for jewelry in most thriving countries.

Color is something that governs value in gemstones, either by intensity or absence. For most diamonds, the absence of color is the way they rank higher up in the value chain.

Many decades ago, the Gemological Institute of America created what we now call the normal D-Z grading scale for diamonds. This can be explained fairly simply, but can take years of practice to understand by "eye" or comprehend visually.

Now the scale starts at the highest grade; "D" which means that a stone is totally devoid of color. There won't be any yellow, brown, gray or even fancy hues present visually in the stone. The grades of "D, E and F", are actually considered to be in a category called "colorless". The scale goes down further to the next category of grades labeled "G, H, I and J" or near-colorless. "K, L and M" are faint yellow or faint brown, and the further down the alphabet a graded stone goes, the more color it will possess.



It's important to note that each letter actually represents a very narrow range of color. So you can have two E colored diamonds with slightly different saturations of yellow for example. Though despite this, it would be extremely difficult to visually differentiate two stones that have the same grade from each other (in terms of color alone). This range per grade is tight, and can be easily misinterpreted by inexperienced diamond buyers.

At a grade of "Z", a stone will exhibit prominent color. This is usually in a yellowish hue, but can also be in other hues as well. Stones with colors more saturated than a "Z" would be labeled with the term "fancy colored diamond", and can have adjective-phrase grades like fancy vivid greenish blue or fancy light pink. Usually fancy colored diamonds with hues other than yellow, gray, black and brown will actually command higher prices than near-colorless (and often colorless) diamonds. Fancy colored red diamonds are among the rarest of all gemstones, and some are reported to cost over a million dollars per carat.



Color is definitely one of the biggest factors for diamond evaluation. Here in the Philippines, a majority of upscale socialites tend to select color grades of G-H and above.

Our laboratory is currently developing a curriculum for gemstone identification and diamond grading knowledge, which tentatively will start at the later parts of this year. If you'd like to learn more on grading color, as well as continue on to the other quality grading factors- clarity, cut and carat weight, then feel free to join our updater's list for when details get released regarding our workshops.

Gemcamp laboratories also makes use of color-grading "masterstones" which represent the 'end-values' of each color grade's narrow range. For example, a masterstone of the color grade designation "G" represents a G-graded stone with the most possible color in its range. Any stone with more color compared to the G-master, will be considered as an H colored stone.

While a standard system exists, not all laboratories will give the same color and clarity grades to a specific stone. Variations are present within the strictness and conformity of each independent laboratory, and even among those institutions with similar styles of grading.

Our doors are always open for sessions of diamond grading and evaluation, feel free to schedule an appointment with one of our GIA graduate gemologists via our Facebook page.

When jewelry stores, gemstone dealers, or even your friends talk about these documents, what do they mean exactly? Here's a little bit of knowledge for you to familiarize yourself with one of the gem trade's most commonly used terminologies.



The term diamond certificate commonly refers to a specific gemological report that illustrates and defines the species, variety, grading and characteristics of a particular stone. For diamonds, laboratories like Gemcamp employ graduate gemologists from some of the world's top gemological schools, in order to properly identify and evaluate a stone. This is important because aside from influencing the monetary value equivalent of a diamond, gemological report grades also help you identify your stone and separate it from others.

Diamond reports contain particular information sections like the exact carat weight of a stone, down to one or two decimal places. A carat is one fifth of a gram, so this measurement is precise enough to serve as a good means for ID'ing your diamond. In light of frequent reports about jewelry theft, especially in Metro Manila, it always helps to have anything that can add more support to the identification of your property. Gemological reports can also describe and plot the specific 'inclusions' and blemishes' on a diamond, which are sort of like its fingerprints in terms of uniqueness. Many diamonds can be matched to their reports simply by checking the plot drawing against their actual appearance under a 10x loupe or microscope.

A diamond certificate or report, serves as a gemstone's ID card, to help buyers, sellers and jewelry owners to gain assurance and security against possible item fraud.

Laboratories must be properly equipped with the right instrumentation to properly identify and grade stones. Diamonds are compared against calibrated 'master stones' to determine a color grade. Likewise, only an experienced gemologist who has seen several hundred stones can efficiently determine grades for clarity and cut.

Note that there is a distinct difference in gemological reports issued by professional laboratories versus fancy-clad certificates that come free with the purchase of a jewelry item from a store. Laboratories conduct thorough testing without any motivational gain from the type of results that are given, making them immune to bias and completely objective. They do not sell you gemstones or try to convince you to buy something from their owners. Everything is about honest and open disclosure, for the client's knowledge and benefit only.



Software and instrumentation that measures reactions to photoluminescence are also needed to separate natural diamonds from man-made or 'cultured' diamonds, which are atomically same, but grown artificially in a lab. Man-made diamonds, despite their chemistry, do not possess the same value as natural diamonds. As of 2017, man-made diamonds produced by chemical vapor deposition sell for about 40% of a natural diamond's value (assuming the same grades). This data was taken from international jewelry trade fairs by the Gemcamp laboratory's gemological research team.

If you want to be certain about your gemstone's identity and value, find a reputable gemology lab and schedule a visit. Having reports made for your gemstones also gives them a 'report card', with grades similar to the ones we used to receive in school. This document can help you sell or liquidate your stones by providing clients with an essential third-party documentation of your item, dismissing bias and promoting a fair and ethical transaction. Gemcamp laboratories serves the Philippine public as one of the most modern laboratory facilities that helps people identify, grade and document their jewelry possessions today.

Note that diamond certificates and gemological reports are products of private institutions subject to limitations and restrictions. Each laboratory or institution may abide by a different set of policies and requirements.