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Testing The Testers: ASSURE Program for Diamond Verification Instruments Expands September 28, 2021 (0 comments)
New York, NY—The ASSURE program, which allows prospective buyers to compare various diamond verification instruments (i.e. testers) is expanding.
The ASSURE Program was first launched in 2019 to offer reliable, third-party evaluations of the various diamond verification instruments available in the marketplace. Instruments are evaluated with stringent performance metrics to allow prospective buyers to compare devices from a variety of manufacturers and across a range of price points.
The program, developed by the former Diamond Producers Association (now the Natural Diamond Council), has tested around 80% of the commercially available and viable diamond verification instruments. It also has garnered praise from industry leaders worldwide.
The ASSURE Program 2.0 builds upon the best practice of the original, with a second independent testing laboratory located at the University of Antwerp in Belgium. This facility will use identical samples and testing procedures as the founding ASSURE testing specialist, UL, located in Canton, MA. The ASSURE Program 2.0 also has evolved to include diamond-set jewelry testing. Both open and closed-back mounted stones will be included in the testing regimen.
ASSURE 2.0 also includes an updated sample of natural diamonds, synthetic diamonds, and diamond simulants in a range of sizes. The sample has been carefully curated to reflect goods currently circulating in the market, as well as individual stones that anticipate future trends and pose some of the greatest challenges to diamond testers.
NDC CEO David Kellie said, “Integrity and consumer trust is critical to the success of the jewelry industry, and I’d like to thank all our partners and the wider industry for their commitment to the ASSURE program and the verification of their products. I’d also like to thank the many manufacturers of the diamond screening devices for the role that their participation plays in ensuring trust throughout the industry.”
Starting in October, manufacturers are invited to submit both new instruments and existing instruments that have already been tested but whose ASSURE Tested Certification is expiring beyond the two-year validity mark.
A complete guide to ASSURE-tested devices is accessible here. For information, contact assure@naturaldiamonds.com.
