The jewellery industry has witnessed unprecedented technological advances in many aspects of the business, particularly in the manufacturing, gemmological and retail fronts, with service and equipment providers constantly upping their game to offer modern tools and solutions.

Germany’s Umicore Electroplating recently developed RHODUNA® PT ONE, an electrolyte especially designed for rhodium plating on a small scale.

Citing rising prices of rhodium, the company said its latest product meets the demand for a more cost-effective alternative for small batch sizes. “We quickly saw the need for an adaptation for the small series. With RHODUNA® PT ONE, we want to buffer the enormous increase in rhodium prices for small electroplating job shops, so that high-quality production can continue even on a small scale,” explained Markus Legeler of Umicore.

UK-based Opsydia meanwhile is offering clients two options to customise visibility of its sub-surface identifiers – Nano ID or Loupe ID features. “Using next generation sub-surface laser techniques, Opsydia provides a secure and tamper-proof way of confirming a diamond’s identity and empowers all stages of the diamond supply chain to protect the integrity of the diamonds,” the company said. 

Nano ID features do not affect the clarity grade of diamonds and are not detectable with a standard grading microscope while a Loupe ID is larger and denser and can be placed strategically to allow quick distinction between lab-grown and natural diamonds. Neither of these identifiers affect the surface polish of a diamond, so security features can be placed beneath without compromising the stone's finish and/or value.