De Beers Scores Partial CVD Patent Victory

 A court has awarded a limited victory to De Beers’ synthetic-diamond production unit in a patent dispute with Singapore-based grower IIa Technologies.

IIa infringed an Element Six patent related to diamond material that’s usable for lab-grown diamond jewelry and industrial applications, according to a High Court of Singapore judgment Friday. However, another Element Six patent for post-growth color treatment is invalid, judge Valerie Thean also ruled.

“We will continue to be vigilant for any other potential infringement of our [intellectual-property] rights around the globe,” Element Six CEO Walter Hühn said in a statement Friday. “We will defend our rights vigorously — just as any company would — because protecting our ability to get a full return on our investment in [research and development] is vital to our future.”

UK-based Element Six produces synthetic diamonds for De Beers’ lab-grown jewelry brand, Lightbox, and supplies diamond material for industrial and technological uses. The patent it successfully defended, SG 872, was relevant to optical applications such as infrared spectroscopy and high-power laser optics, as well as to the creation of stones for jewelry, De Beers explained.

IIa, which grows CVD goods for distributor and sister company Pure Grown Diamonds (PGD), must stop making, using, importing or maintaining possession of products that infringe patent SG 872, Thean ordered. She also called for the cancellation of Element Six’s patent SG 508, which relates to the annealing of chemical vapor deposition (CVD) diamonds.

“IIa Technologies has developed its proprietary process in the last 15 years, and is proud of the work we have done to bring lab-grown diamonds to the world,” Vishal Mehta, IIa’s CEO, said in a separate statement. “The current judgment will be considered in its entirety, and then the company will take necessary steps to protect its interests.”

The lawsuit, which Element Six filed in 2016, comes amid heightened patent-related legal activity in the synthetic-diamond sector. Last month, WD Lab Grown Diamonds sued six companies — including IIa and PGD — accusing them of infringing its patents for synthesis and treatment.

Source: DCLA

De Beers Scores Partial CVD Patent Victory

 A court has awarded a limited victory to De Beers’ synthetic-diamond production unit in a patent dispute with Singapore-based grower IIa Technologies.

IIa infringed an Element Six patent related to diamond material that’s usable for lab-grown diamond jewelry and industrial applications, according to a High Court of Singapore judgment Friday. However, another Element Six patent for post-growth color treatment is invalid, judge Valerie Thean also ruled.

“We will continue to be vigilant for any other potential infringement of our [intellectual-property] rights around the globe,” Element Six CEO Walter Hühn said in a statement Friday. “We will defend our rights vigorously — just as any company would — because protecting our ability to get a full return on our investment in [research and development] is vital to our future.”

UK-based Element Six produces synthetic diamonds for De Beers’ lab-grown jewelry brand, Lightbox, and supplies diamond material for industrial and technological uses. The patent it successfully defended, SG 872, was relevant to optical applications such as infrared spectroscopy and high-power laser optics, as well as to the creation of stones for jewelry, De Beers explained.

IIa, which grows CVD goods for distributor and sister company Pure Grown Diamonds (PGD), must stop making, using, importing or maintaining possession of products that infringe patent SG 872, Thean ordered. She also called for the cancellation of Element Six’s patent SG 508, which relates to the annealing of chemical vapor deposition (CVD) diamonds.

“IIa Technologies has developed its proprietary process in the last 15 years, and is proud of the work we have done to bring lab-grown diamonds to the world,” Vishal Mehta, IIa’s CEO, said in a separate statement. “The current judgment will be considered in its entirety, and then the company will take necessary steps to protect its interests.”

The lawsuit, which Element Six filed in 2016, comes amid heightened patent-related legal activity in the synthetic-diamond sector. Last month, WD Lab Grown Diamonds sued six companies — including IIa and PGD — accusing them of infringing its patents for synthesis and treatment.

Source: DCLA

Karowe Yields Massive 549ct. Rough

Lucara Diamond Corp. has unearthed a 549-carat white diamond at its Karowe mine, the fourth-largest stone in the history of the Botswana deposit.

The unbroken stone, which is of “exceptional purity,” is the first large diamond Lucara has recovered using its Mega Diamond Recovery (MDR) equipment, the miner said Wednesday. The unit, which the miner commissioned in 2017, is specifically designed to recover large stones early in the extraction process to reduce the risk of breakage.

The rough stone is worth $15 million to $20 million, according to an estimate by Berenberg investment bank. However, it could potentially sell for more, the bank added.

The diamond came from the high-value EM/PK(S) portion of discovery of Karowe’s lucrative south lobe, Lucara noted. The same area yielded a 176-carat, gem-quality stone earlier this year, and was also the source of the 1,758-carat Sewelô, the 1,109-carat Lesedi La Rona and the 813-carat Constellation.

“Lucara is extremely pleased to be starting off 2020 with the recovery of two large, high-quality diamonds that build on the positive momentum generated following the completion of a strong fourth-quarter sale in December,” Lucara CEO Eira Thomas said.

Lucara has retrieved six diamonds over 100 carats since the beginning of the year. It will announce its plans for the sale of the 549-carat and 176-carat diamonds shortly.

The miner’s share price rose 4% in early trading Thursday following the announcement.

Source: DCLA

Karowe Yields Massive 549ct. Rough

Lucara Diamond Corp. has unearthed a 549-carat white diamond at its Karowe mine, the fourth-largest stone in the history of the Botswana deposit.

The unbroken stone, which is of “exceptional purity,” is the first large diamond Lucara has recovered using its Mega Diamond Recovery (MDR) equipment, the miner said Wednesday. The unit, which the miner commissioned in 2017, is specifically designed to recover large stones early in the extraction process to reduce the risk of breakage.

The rough stone is worth $15 million to $20 million, according to an estimate by Berenberg investment bank. However, it could potentially sell for more, the bank added.

The diamond came from the high-value EM/PK(S) portion of discovery of Karowe’s lucrative south lobe, Lucara noted. The same area yielded a 176-carat, gem-quality stone earlier this year, and was also the source of the 1,758-carat Sewelô, the 1,109-carat Lesedi La Rona and the 813-carat Constellation.

“Lucara is extremely pleased to be starting off 2020 with the recovery of two large, high-quality diamonds that build on the positive momentum generated following the completion of a strong fourth-quarter sale in December,” Lucara CEO Eira Thomas said.

Lucara has retrieved six diamonds over 100 carats since the beginning of the year. It will announce its plans for the sale of the 549-carat and 176-carat diamonds shortly.

The miner’s share price rose 4% in early trading Thursday following the announcement.

Source: DCLA

Hong Kong Shows Postponed Due to Coronavirus

Organizers of two upcoming jewelry trade shows in Hong Kong have postponed the events as the coronavirus continues to spread beyond mainland China.

The Hong Kong International Diamond, Gem & Pearl Show, which was due to take place from March 2 to 6, and the Hong Kong International Jewellery Show, scheduled for March 4 to 8, will now run from May 18 to 21. They will happen concurrently at the AsiaWorld-Expo, instead of at two separate venues, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) announced on its website Tuesday.

“The safety of exhibitors and buyers has always been a priority for the HKTDC,” the notice read. The decision was in line with the Hong Kong government’s measures against the spread of the coronavirus and followed consultations with representatives of the jewelry industry, it continued.

Discussions about how the rescheduling will work are in progress, Rapaport News understands. Some traders have raised concerns about the proximity of the May event to other shows, including Baselworld, JCK Las Vegas, and the June edition of the Hong Kong fair.

“It’s really bad business,” one exhibitor said on condition of anonymity. “They should have canceled the show altogether and given us the opportunity to come back in better circumstances.”

The virus, which started in the Chinese city of Wuhan, has killed more than 400 people globally and infected more than 20,000, according to media. On Tuesday, Hong Kong reported its first death from the outbreak. The municipality has closed most of its borders with mainland China.

The situation is also likely to affect Chinese attendance at next week’s IIJS Signature show in Mumbai and at the International Diamond Week in Israel.

The Hong Kong shows — which take place in March and September — have seen several challenges in recent years. The September 2019 edition went ahead only after trade organizations had called for it to be pushed back due to pro-democracy street protests, which limited the number of exhibitors and buyers attending. The September 2018 event closed early due to a typhoon.

The two March fairs traditionally overlap, spanning around a week in total. The Hong Kong International Diamond, Gem & Pearl Show, which focuses on loose stones, takes place at the AsiaWorld-Expo near the airport, while the finished-jewelry fair’s usual home is the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in the downtown Wan Chai district.

Source: DCLA

Hong Kong Shows Postponed Due to Coronavirus

Organizers of two upcoming jewelry trade shows in Hong Kong have postponed the events as the coronavirus continues to spread beyond mainland China.

The Hong Kong International Diamond, Gem & Pearl Show, which was due to take place from March 2 to 6, and the Hong Kong International Jewellery Show, scheduled for March 4 to 8, will now run from May 18 to 21. They will happen concurrently at the AsiaWorld-Expo, instead of at two separate venues, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) announced on its website Tuesday.

“The safety of exhibitors and buyers has always been a priority for the HKTDC,” the notice read. The decision was in line with the Hong Kong government’s measures against the spread of the coronavirus and followed consultations with representatives of the jewelry industry, it continued.

Discussions about how the rescheduling will work are in progress, Rapaport News understands. Some traders have raised concerns about the proximity of the May event to other shows, including Baselworld, JCK Las Vegas, and the June edition of the Hong Kong fair.

“It’s really bad business,” one exhibitor said on condition of anonymity. “They should have canceled the show altogether and given us the opportunity to come back in better circumstances.”

The virus, which started in the Chinese city of Wuhan, has killed more than 400 people globally and infected more than 20,000, according to media. On Tuesday, Hong Kong reported its first death from the outbreak. The municipality has closed most of its borders with mainland China.

The situation is also likely to affect Chinese attendance at next week’s IIJS Signature show in Mumbai and at the International Diamond Week in Israel.

The Hong Kong shows — which take place in March and September — have seen several challenges in recent years. The September 2019 edition went ahead only after trade organizations had called for it to be pushed back due to pro-democracy street protests, which limited the number of exhibitors and buyers attending. The September 2018 event closed early due to a typhoon.

The two March fairs traditionally overlap, spanning around a week in total. The Hong Kong International Diamond, Gem & Pearl Show, which focuses on loose stones, takes place at the AsiaWorld-Expo near the airport, while the finished-jewelry fair’s usual home is the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in the downtown Wan Chai district.

Source: DCLA

Gem Diamonds Recovers 183 Carat Diamond

Gem Diamonds Limited has announced the discovery of an exceptional 183-carat white Type IIa diamond from the Letseng mine in Lesotho on February 3.

The miner also announced that it also recovered two different high quality diamonds, one of 89 carats and the other of 70 carats, from the mine. 

The Letseng mine is the highest dollar per carat kimberlite diamond mine in the world.

Source: DCLA