DISTINGUISHING NATURAL FROM SYNTHETIC DIAMOND

摘要

In order to provide a method of distinguishing natural from synthetic diamon d which does not involve costly equipment of long periods to make a measurement, a diamond (1) is irradiated with ultraviolet radiatio n which is preponderantly of wavelength 225nm or less, such that substantially only the surface region of the diamond is irradiated. By observing the pattern of luminescence and/or phosphorescence produced by the diamond (1), an observer can identify the diamond (1) as a natural or synthetic diamond. In an alternative method, a diamond can be placed in an electron beam and the pattern of luminescence and/or phosphorescence produced by the diamond observed in order to determine whether there is a layer of synthetic diamond deposited upon the diamond.