Martin Haske
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Martin D. Haske, a native of Syracuse, New York, attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he studied Aeronautics & Astronautics in the early 1960’s. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from MIT in 1965. While a student and until the early 1980’s Mr. Haske was member of the technical research staff of the MIT Instrumentation Laboratory (now The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory), where he worked on the design, development, implementation and flight testing of precision inertial and stellar inertial guidance systems used both in the Apollo program and in the Fleet Ballistic Missile program (Polaris, Poseidon and Trident). He has received a Certificate of Commendation for his contributions to the Apollo Primary Guidance, Navigation and Control System on the occasion of man’s first landing on the moon, and a Certificate of Merit in recognition of his significant contributions during twenty years of service to the United States Navy Fleet Ballistic Missile Program. He has earned a Masters of Science Degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics from MIT Mr. Haske’s interest in gems and gemology was kindled during the late 1960’s when he was involved in test programs in high energy physics. Fellow researchers were placing gemstones in available space in the test chamber where he was irradiating precision guidance components. He was hooked on gems and with what technology could do when he saw the gemstone colors were changed. He started with cutting and faceting at this time and later took the GIA home study program in the 1970’s just for the fun of it. In the 1970’s and 80’s he continued with the gemstone industry as a hobbyist and vest pocket dealer. In 1991 he decided on a complete career change and received his Graduate Gemologist degree from the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), and also completed the GIA Pearls Certificate. At this time he started Adamas Gemological Laboratory.Mr Haske’s knowledge base of the insurance industry comes from past state and federal licensing and training in property and casualty, life and health, and securities.Mr. Haske received his initial appraisal training from the International Society of Appraisers where he earned the Designated Member Status (ISA) and now holds Senior Member status in The National Association of Jewelry Appraisers. Adamas Gemological Laboratory is an Accredited Gemologists Association Certified Gem Laboratory. Mr. Haske is on the Accredited Gemologists Association Certified Laboratory Program Committee. He was appointed to and served on the Jeweler's Vigilance Committee Appraisal Standards Task Force and was also a reviewer of the GIA Insurance Appraisal Course. He also served on the American Gem Society Cut Grade Task Force and The AGS Laboratory Gemological Advisory Committees.Mr. Haske was the author of The Adamas Advantage line of gemological software products to aid gemological identification and grading, and was presented with The International Society of Appraisers 1993 Distinguished Service Award "for his contribution to ISA and the field of Gemological Appraising by developing The Adamas Advantage". Mr Haske developed and markets the SAS2000 Spectrophotometer Analysis System for diamond color grading, origin of color and gemstone evaluation using VisNiR, Raman and Photoluminescence spectroscopy. Mr. Haske is an author in both the technical and jewelry fields and is a technology consultant for the jewelry trade. His website is http://www.adamasgem.com
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There are two major Gems and Gemology articles relating to inclusions in Gems & Gemology, both primarily concerned with "black" diamonds.
and
While the literature does talk about "graphite" inclusions in colorless diamonds, many assume that "black" inclusions in diamonds are all "carbon (graphite) ", the only thing scientifically reaonable to say is that not all "black" appearing inclusions are in fact graphite, and may be other minerals which may appear "black", dependent on the lighting technique used under a microscope. High relief inclusions may generally appear black under darkfield, but when subjected to fiberoptic oblique lighting, may in fact be a deep color, (red, green) other than "black" with luster other than what would be characteristic of "graphite", and may be in fact bet garnet, zircon, peridot or any of a host of other minerals associated with dimondiferous host rocks.
The Fall 2003 G&G article is the one of the most technical in the current gemological literature, and deals with "Siberian" blacks, which are seemingly highly included diamonds whose primary inclusions are magnetite, hematite or native iron. But it only goes to reason and common sense, that there are also Siberian colorless diamonds containing less dense and/or minute concentrations of these same Iron related materials.
"Graphite" or other forms of carbon inclusions occur naturally in diamonds, and it is also known that "graphitization", both externally and internally, may be also induced by High Pressure High Temperature treatments.
As to the technical literature, even a simple search would lead one to say that any "jeweler" who claims that the "black" inclusion in your diamond is automatically "graphite", doesn't know what he or she is talking about, period,, and is just a merchant trying to impress you with smoke and mirrors.
A quick search of the literature on http://www.scholar.google.com using the search "black inclusions in diamond" turns up over 3000 technical articles, which I think serves to make my point. (Some of these articles are free but most link to abstracts in "peer reviewed" journals where the cost of each total article is typically $30 to $50, a current bone of contention in acedemic and research circles, however there are quite a few pdfs that are available free of charge.)
There is no one answer, other than emphatically saying that not all "black" appearing inclusions are forms of carbon (or are graphite).