Signity, distributor of precision-cut natural and created gemstones, and a wholly owned subsidiary of D. Swarovski & Co., has acquired Leslie & Co., San Diego, the manufacturer and distributor of topaz enhanced with Pollak Heat Diffusion. The acquisition gives Signity, which uses thermal color fusion (TCF) technology, a larger color portfolio.

Jack Malinowski, managing director of Signity USA in Austin, Texas, says the TCF and PHD processes complement what he calls Swarovski’s “core competency” of offering “predictable and repeatable color results.”

Hubert Salvenmoser, product manager, says the TCF process creates a hard, scratch-resistant ceramic layer that can withstand ultrasonic, magnetic pin, and acid-bath cleaning methods and also hold up under cast-in-place techniques. He also says the treatment contains no radiation and is not harmful to the environment.

Blue topaz has been the favored product for years, but Swarovski is phasing out stones treated with radiation, which led the company to create an alternative process.