Stone Removal and Diamond Melee Sorting

Hoover & Strong offers stone removal, diamond melee sorting, grading and stone purchase services to the jewelry trade.
Each service can be used separately or together. Removing diamonds from gold, platinum or palladium channel, pave and cluster settings is a time consuming process often resulting in significant breakage.

Gold is payable at 100% of London PM Fix.  Platinum, Palladium and Silver are payable at New York Close.

STONE REMOVAL

Hoover & Strong maintains a state of the art chemical processing facility at our Richmond, Virginia refinery. We will remove your diamonds quickly and safely. (Please note that opals, colored and synthetic stones usually undergo color changes, chipping and cracking.)

Each customer’s stone removal lot is placed in an individual chemical reactor. Our expert technicians carefully monitor each reaction as your gold, platinum or palladium and any remaining residue is dissolved leaving your stones clean and ready for sorting.

The remaining solution is then filtered. The fine gold is precipitated out of the solution and weighed. Your precious metal settlement is ready within 10 business days. (Processing time is subject to seasonal business.)

Melee Sorting by Shape & Size
Our expert diamond staff is ready to save you even more time by sorting your melee diamonds by shape and size once the stone removal process is completed. The price for this service is $12-$15 per carat. The time required varies depending on the size and content of your stone removal lot. Please contact our diamond department at 800-759-9997, ext. 164 for more information.

Round melee is sieved and fluted by size. Fancy melee is sorted by size and fluted.

Sizes:
0.00 Ct. - 0.02 Ct.
0.025 Ct. - 0.07 Ct.
0.08 Ct. - 0.14 Ct.
0.15+ Ct.

Melee Sorting & Grading

If your stone removal lot or loose stones contain mixed diamonds, we can sort and grade your melee by shape, size, color and clarity. Your round and fancy shaped diamonds will be returned fluted and ready for production or sale categorized as follows:

Size:
0.00 Ct. - 0.02 Ct.
0.025 Ct. - 0.07 Ct.
0.08 Ct. - 0.14 Ct.
0.15+ Ct.

Color:
D-H, I-K, L-N
Brown, Fancy Colors

Clarity:
VS+, SI-SI2, SI3-II, I2-I3, Commercial

Note: Every effort will be made to detect and separate CZ’s, and laser drilled stones. No guarantees are expressed or implied that 100% detection of non-diamonds can be achieved. Melee size, color and clarity grades are approximate.

Stone Purchase Service

Hoover & Strong can purchase your mixed stone lots no matter how small or large the lots are.  Once you accept our offer, you will receive payment within 7 days.