Ari synthetic diamond tester (Presidium) for natural/synthetic diamond + Moissanite
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Ref: Ari
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(Single item price excluding VAT: £957.50)
Stock: Available
Free gift option with this item
Pickup available from Quicktest (WD18 8JA)
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or call on 01923-220206 for appointment.
Summary
The Presidium ARI is an essential tool for the experienced jeweller and professional diamond dealer, it is for testing known diamonds, to see if they are natural or synthetic.
If you are not an experienced jeweller or professional diamond dealer:
- check with the simple (but good quality) diamond tester to make sure you have a diamond or Moissanite (you won't know which)
- then use the ARI to see which (diamond or Moissanite) it might be
- and if it's diamond the ARI will tell you the chances of it being a natural diamond or a synthetic diamond.
Instruction manual (pdf download)
Videos (youtube)
Guide to buying diamond testers (web page)
Video
Detail
Natural diamonds grow as crystals deep in the Earth, they are brought nearer the surface through volcanic activity where they are mined (they are also known as as mined diamonds). It takes 2 to 3 billion years for a diamond crystal to grown naturally.
Synthetic diamonds are grown by man in a laboratory over a period of a few weeks. "Synthetic" is the scientific term. Colloquially, we say lab-grown or manmade or lab-created. It takes a few weeks grow a synthetic diamond in a laboratory.
Synthetics and naturals are identical, they are both diamond. They are the same chemically, they are the same optically. That is why it is so difficult to tell them apart. If you just want to know if you have a diamond or not a diamond, see our Guide to buying diamond testers.
GUARANTEE
1 year
Features
- comfortably handheld
- can test any stone mounted in jewellery (in addition to loose stones)
- also tests for Moissanite
- fast response time (test-result in 3 seconds)
- left-handed or right-handed use
- one year guarantee
INCLUDED
- The tester
- Neat heavy-duty carrying pouch
- USB power cable (for use instead of batteries)
- Spare test-tip
- Calibration disc
- Stone-holder for loose stones (you can also test stones mounted in jewellery)
- Polishing cloth (to clean the stone before the test)
- Alcohol wipes (for cleaning the test-tip)
Operation
1) Clean the top (table) of the stone thoroughly with the polishing cloth
2) Insert the probe into the tester
3) Do not remove the cap. Turn it on, wait 10 seconds for it to warm up
4) Remove cap, hold probe on the black disc supplied and wait while it calibrates
5) Place the probe in the centre of the stone as instructed on the display and see the reading (details below).
6) When you have finished all your testing, remove the probe from the tester and put it safely away in its case.
THE READINGS:
CVD / HPHT / Type IIa diamond
CVD/ HPHT are two are methods of growing diamond = synthetic
Type IIa diamond is a very rare type of natural diamond that will show up as 'synthetic' on this tester. So if the tester shows, "CVD / HPHT / Type IIa Diamond" there is a good chance it's synthetic but this is not guaranteed.
DIAMOND
By "diamond" they mean natural diamond.
MOISSANITE
Moissanite is not diamond (neither natural diamond nor synthetic diamond) but it is useful to be able to detect these because they show up as diamond on cheap diamond testers.
You notice that there isn't a reading not diamond ("simulant"); if you are not a diamond dealer or experienced jeweller you must be certain you are testing a stone that will register 'diamond' on most diamond testers; testing non-diamonds on a Synthetic Diamond Tester can give incorrect readings.
Technical
Size 190mm X 46mm (1.2 inches) X 25mm
Weight 60g
Tests* stones from 0.02 to 10 carats incl. mounted stones in any setting
Tests* stones of colour D to J
Tests* round (brilliant-cut) stones that are perfectly polished
* It is important to understand what these limitations mean, see our guide to synthetic-diamond testing.
RESPONSE TIME
Start-up time 10 seconds
Testing time 3 seconds
POWER
Power: three AAA batteries (supplied) or any USB power source (USB cable supplied)
Battery life: 4 hours of testing
Auto-power-off yes, if used on battery power it turns itself off after 10mns of non-activity.
ACCURACY
Gives correct results about 95% of the time (6% false positive rate, 4.5% false negative rate) providing the colour is 'clear' (colour D to J) and the size is at least 0.02ct and the cut isn't shallow.
GUARANTEE
1 year
Limitations, please read!
The Presidium ARI is not for testing diamond v. non-diamond. It is for showing you the chance of a diamond being natural (originating from the earth) or synthetic (manmade in a laboratory) - both are 'real' diamond. The ARI also distinguishes diamond from Moissanite. A synthetic-diamond tester is for the experienced jeweller and professional diamond dealer.
5% of natural diamonds have an unusual composition ("Type IIa diamond") and cannot be distinguished from synthetic diamonds.
Stones must be at least 1.3mm diameter (approx. 0.02ct) so if the stone is small, check it with a diamond gauge. For the non-expert: select a diamond gauge as your free gift. For the professional jeweller: from 3 points is safe.
Stones must be Brilliant Cut (modern, round) and perfectly-cut in proportion, it will not test shallow stones. For the non-expert: make sure the stone is recent (eg not from the 19th century) and is round. For the professional jeweller: if you specialise in Victorian jewellery (or earlier) this tester might not be suitable, it will not give accurate results on rose-cut etc.
The stone must be very 'white' in colour (colour D to J).
For the non-expert: if it has any colour (e.g. the tiniest slightest yellow tint) you won't get an accurate reading. It takes an expert to colour-grade a stone, to the non-expert Colour Grade D will look exactly the same as Colour Grade J. For the professional jeweller: if you work at a shop counter and don't understand this, please ask your diamond expert to colour-grade the stone for you. Alternatively buy a set of colour-graded stones and match your stone against one of the samples in the set.
For more information see our guide to synthetic-diamond testing.
Disclaimer
All testers must be used in conjunction with the user's skill, knowledge and experience. Under no circumstances shall QUICKTEST be liable for direct or indirect loss sustained in connection with any item. Nothing is 100% accurate, you must understand the limitations of any tester you buy. We also suggest you regularly test known samples to check for any obvious faults. Full support given for items you buy from QUICKTEST.
Further Information
All about electronic gem testers
Gem testers | Quicktest
Guide to buying and testing diamonds
Guide to buying and testing diamonds | Quicktest
Distinguishing diamond from Moissanite
Distinguishing diamond from Moissanite | Quicktest
Testing for synthetic diamonds
Testing for synthetic diamonds | Quicktest
Books
Jewellery, hallmarks, gemstones | Quicktest
Free gift details
If you would like one of the following free gifts with this product, select one from “Select your free gift” above.
|
Plastic Diamond and Pearl Gauge (RRP £3.00 ) |
|
Cz (cubic zirconia). (RRP £6.50 ) |
|
Bottle of Isopropyl for cleaning stones (RRP £3.50 ) |
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Ask a Question-
Does it test mounted stones too?
Yes, that is what is so good about this one, it can test any mounted stones (other models either don't test mounted stones at all, or are limited to small rings).
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Is it poassible to ship to South Korea? If possible, how much is the shipping fee?
Yes we can ship to nearly* any country, including South Korea. If you add it to the cart and enter your address, the computer will calculate the cost of shipping.
* The only exceptions are a handful of remote war-torn countries that have no infrastructure. -
I am thinking about buying a fairly large diamond (approx 3cts) and want to be absolutely certain it's a natural diamond and not a synthetic one. The seller has a diamond tester which uses thermal conductivity but admitted his tester can sometimes be fooled. Can I rely 100% on this one.
See our very detailed guide to buying diamond testers.
Your seller is correct about his a thermal conductivity diamond tester, it won't detect if you have a natural diamond or a synthetic diamond.
The ARI will tell you, but nothing is 100%. For instance, the ARI won't give accurate readings on stones with a yellow-ish tint (the colour must be between colour-grades D and J); it won't give accurate readings on very small stones (under 2pts); it won't give accurate readings on with a very narrow pavilion (typically 'simple' cuts from the 17th to 19th centuries).
In your particular case, since you are buying a very large stone, spending an extra £1000.00 on the ARI won't add much to the price (relatively) and would give you peace-of-mind. -
I will buy this item and I have £900.00 will you accept my offer?
No, sorry.
We are always interested to know if anyone is selling these significantly cheaper, we expect that our prices are very competitive. Also, we are unique in that we actually check items before dispatch. -
Would this work with rough stones? I mean rough diamonds ? And show the difference between man made and natural?
No. ARI will only work on polished diamonds (must be between D – J color).
The purpose of the Ari is to show the difference between synthetic (man-made in a laboratory) and natural (dug from the ground) diamonds, please read the product description.
Do not confuse 'synthetic' with simulant/imitation. Read all about it at Testing for Synthetic Diamonds.