The Scientific and Technological Research Center for Diamonds (WTOCD), a research centre of Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC), has developed Fenix, a groundbreaking technology fundamentally changes the diamond polishing process from manual polishing, which has remained unchanged for almost 600 years, to fully automated polishing. AWDC said WTOCD took over 10 years of research to develop this technology. CEO of AWDC Ari Epstein said: “Today’s wages simply make it too expensive to conduct this labour-intensive job in our country. Fenix puts an end to this, and can therefore be a real game-changer for the Antwerp diamond industry.”
Fenix consists of a polishing robot, an electrical cabinet and a setting station. Rough planners on the database are provided by inclusion scanning and rough planning giants including Sarine Technologies Ltd, Helium Rough and OGI Systems Ltd for cutting and polishing suggestions. AWDC told Hong Kong Jewellery that unlike traditional polishing wheel, Fenix applies a ‘cold polishing’ method, keeping the temperature during polishing process within 30 to 35°C, lowers the risk of diamond breakage and enhances polishing precision. Based on the prototype testing, Fenix dramatically shortens the production process from an entire day to one and a half hours, a significant 10 to 20 times faster than manual polishing. All fancy shapes can be polished. AWDC said that details about the minimum and maximum carat limits will be released soon.
A prototype of Fenix has been tested intensively in WTOCD’s laboratory. Four beta versions will be tested in an actual production environment in the next few months. AWDC said certain companies have already shown interest in the machine. The retail price and retail channels will be disclosed in this autumn.
Cloud on the horizon
There are concerns that Fenix may pose a threat to diamond polishers in Surat of India, the world largest cutting and polishing centre, which contributes 85 percent of the world’s supply in volume. Diamond industry analyst Aniruddha Lidbide commented: “The new revolutionary machine will pose a big challenge to the artisanal skills of the diamond polishers in Surat. At present, from near gem-quality to solitaires, the diamond polishers of Surat and Gujarat are the leaders. But, the machine developed by AWDC will change the scenario in the longer run.”
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