Laser inscription included on stones

Laser technology is growing in popularity among gemstone users to inscribe stones with important security information. The Tanzanite Foundation has, since 2002, been using a laser inscription tool developed by laser equipment company Ogi.

The Tanzanite Foundation is an industry body that grades, certifies, and endorses this gem, assuring owners that their tanzanite is natural, that it is accurately graded, and that it has made the journey from mine to market with complete integrity and strict adherence to social and environmental ethics--an important guarantee for the socially conscious jewelry buyer.

The manufacturer specializes in the develpment and manufacture of systems for determining the optimal yield from a rough stone; laser systems for marking and cutting rough stones; automated systems for measuring and analyzing polished stones; laser systems for inscribing gemstones; and technology that will enhance sales in jewelry stores.

The tool, called the OGIWriter, is an automatic system for laser inscriptioins on tanzanite. Initially developed to laser-inscribe the girdle of a diamond, the machine has been modified for inscription on the table of tanzanite. The system consists of an electro-optical measuring machine; a laser generator that creates the laser beam that inscribes the stone; and an ordinary personal computer and accessories, which are used to control the system.

The Tanzanite Foundation hallmark can be viewed through a specially designed Tanzanite Foundation viewer at the point of purchase, assuring owners of the quality of their tanzanite and the value of their investment.

The selection of a premium Tanzanite Foundation gem is an intricate process, with only one in a hundred achieving the right mix of color, brilliance, quality of cut, and proportion. Tanzanite that passes this rigorous selection process is microscopically inscribed with the Tanzanite Foundation's hallmark of quality. The hallmark is 60 micrometers and is not visible to the naked eye. The laser inscription does not damage the tanzanite or cause inclusions in the stone.