Mumbai: Having completed a five-month pilot programme — launched in June 2016 — for its Melee Analysis Service, GIA is now open to accepting submissions for the same. The institute has announced that clients can now submit round D-to-Z melee-size diamonds for the Melee Analysis Service.

“The fully automated system, which rapidly and accurately analyses and sorts diamonds ranging from 0.90 to 4.00 mm in diameter (approximately 0.005 ct to about 0.25 ct.), addresses trade concerns about the possibility of synthetic or treated diamonds being mixed into parcels of melee,” GIA said.

Explaining its functioning, the institute added: “The GIA Melee Analysis Service separates natural, untreated diamonds from simulants and potentially synthetic or treated diamonds, and sorts the screened diamonds by color range. Clients can also specify a size range for their parcel. The system applies GIA’s decades of research into and examination of treated and synthetic diamonds, and processes 1,800 to 2,000 stones per hour around the clock.”

The GIA said the cost of the service ranges from US cents 8 to 40 cents per stone based on diameter, with a minimum of 500 pieces in each parcel.