2006

LKI Applies for New HPHT Patents

April 2006

The Gemological Institute of Great Britain’s Gems and Jewellery magazine always has some interesting items about who applied for patents over the past year.

In March, they noted that there were two patents for new HPHT processes. In both cases, they say, "no applicant names were on the patent, but names of inventors point to GEC/Lazare Kaplan."
The first is one is for "treating of discolored natural diamond, especially Type II diamond and Type Ia diamond, with nitrogen as predominantly B centers, for improving its color." The process involves "pre-blocking and pre-shaping a discolored natural diamond to prevent its breakage."

The second patent is for "making a colorless diamonds from discolored Type II a diamonds," "making blue diamonds from discolored Type Iab diamonds" and "making colorless diamonds from discolored Type Iab diamonds."

The Korea Atomic Energy Research has a patent to produce a colored diamond — we assume a synthetic — through ion implantation and heat treatment.

All this indicates science keeps advancing in the synthetic and treatment field.