Gaborone: The De Beers Group of Companies today announced that the low cost, high volume melee testing service at its International Institute of Diamond Grading & Research (IIDGR) will begin in Surat, India, on 26 October 2015, with an equivalent service to launch in Antwerp, Belgium, on 12 November 2015.

The service will provide diamantaires with the opportunity to use IIDGR’s leading proprietary technology to verify the natural diamond content of parcels of melee before they are traded. Goods will be returned in sealed, tamper-proof IIDGR packages, with the content of each clearly labelled.

Jonathan Kendall, President of IIDGR, said: “This service will play an important role in supporting both trade and consumer confidence. Sellers will be able to provide potential buyers with pre-checked goods in sealed IIDGR packages, removing any potential concerns around disclosure. As more and more diamond businesses seek greater levels of assurance about the content of the melee they are purchasing, this service will meet an increasing industry need. As the industry continues to evolve, IIDGR services – whether in synthetic melee detection, diamond verification instrument sales or diamond grading – will continue to support the sector’s need for confidence throughout the pipeline.”

The service in India will build on the strategic partnership that has been established by IIDGR and the Gemmological Institute of India (GII) to support confidence in the domestic sector.

The melee testing service will be offered at an introductory discount in both India and Belgium for any parcels submitted before the end of 2015. Any business interested in using the service or finding out more about how it will work can contact IIDGR at testing@iidgr.com or visit www.iidgr.com.