The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) reports that four Apollo rough crystals and four Apollo faceted diamonds were submitted to GIA's Gem Trade Lab (GTL) for identification and research. The European Gemological Laboratory (EGL) and gemologist Antoinette Matlins also have studied similar Apollo CVD diamonds.
The labs say identification of the new CVD material is fairly straightforward, but whether or not the average retailer/gemologist can do it remains uncertain.
GIA GTL reports, "Characteristic strain patterns were observed [under the microscope], which were different from those seen in natural diamonds." The lab also writes, "The CVD synthetic diamonds displayed strong red fluorescence while exposed to high-energy UV radiation in the De Beers DiamondView." The DiamondView was designed to detect synthetic diamond.
Observations by EGL USA include seeing clouds of white parti