WFDB Releases Recommendations on HPHT Disclosure

The WFDB Committee on Consumer Confidence released Friday its recommendations for disclosing HPHT treatment of diamonds, mainly laser inscriptions and certificate descriptions, as first published in IDEX Online last week.

At their meeting last Tuesday, the Committee agreed on the need for detection, disclosure and cooperation both among the laboratories and throughout the industry.

The Committee recommended that laboratories would describe the color grade, in one of the following ways:

_____ Color, Modified by HPHT*

_____ Color, Altered by HPHT*

_____ Color, Changed by HPHT*

A description of the meaning of HPHT will be clearly noted by an asterisk (*) on the report.

It was further agreed that all HPHT stones that are graded by the laboratories will be laser inscribed HPHT.

Representatives of the laboratories participating in the meeting (GIA, HRD, IGI, AGS and EGL) agreed to bring this language back to their boards for their approval.

The Committee on Consumer Confidence also agreed to establish a Subcommittee on Synthetics that will include DDC President Jacob Banda, Leon Cohen (DMIA), Harry Levy (London Diamond Bourse and Club), David Marcus (Diamond Club West Coast) and Meir Wertheim (Israel Diamond Exchange).

In addition to the above, participated in the meeting Rory More O'Ferrall (DTC), Tom Moses and Matt Hall (GIA), Peter Borgmans and Ann Peters (HRD), Jerry Ehrenwald and Marc Brauner (IGI), Peter Yantzer (AGS), Mark Gershburg and Sharrie Woodring (EGL), Jeff Fischer (IDMA) and Martin Hochbaum (Diamond Dealers Club).