CIBJO U-Turn: Don’t Say Lab Grown, Say Synthetic

Don't Say Lab Grown, Say Synthetic

The World Jewellery Confederation (CIBJO) is set to reverse a decision made in 2010 – and insist that non-natural diamonds are labelled as “synthetic”.

It says the terms “laboratory-grown” and “laboratory-created” should be removed from the Diamond Blue Book – the de facto standard for diamond terminology, grading and trade practices – and from all relevant ISO Standards.

In addition, the 4Cs grading system should be used only for natural diamonds (as the GIA is now doing).

Udi Sheintal (pictured), president of CIBJO’s Diamond Commission, said the original acceptance of lab grown terminology had been well-intentioned, but proved to be misplaced.

“At the time, we believed we were acknowledging a commercial reality and extending a constructive hand to a new segment of the industry,” he said, in a special report ahead of the 2025 CIBJO Congress in Paris at the end of October.

“We hoped for a spirit of cooperation, with shared standards, ethics and transparency.”

But he said many in the synthetic diamond sector — along with some grading laboratories and major retail chains – took advantage of that inclusive approach.

“In addition, the marketing narrative around synthetic diamonds has been aggressively shaped to position them as the more ethical, sustainable, and conflict-free choice, almost always without substantiation.”

He also called for greater transparency, requiring that all descriptions and marketing of synthetic diamonds reflect the reality of their origin: they are not grown or created in a “laboratory,” but rather are manufactured in industrial facilities through artificial processes.

Source: IDEX

HRD to Stop Grading Lab Growns

HRD, a subsidiary of the Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC), says it is the first lab to stop lab grown certification, although it will still issue certificates for jewelry containing lab growns.

Belgium’s HRD lab says it will no longer grade lab grown diamonds.

It wants to create what it calls a “clear distinction between natural and synthetic diamonds”.

HRD, a subsidiary of the Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC), says it is the first lab to stop lab grown certification, although it will still issue certificates for jewelry containing lab growns.

The move, announced yesterday (18 June) follows GIA’s decision earlier this month to grade lab growns only as “premium” or “standard”, without scores for color or clarity.

It further emphasizes the distinction between natural and lab grown diamonds.

“As of 2026, we will no longer issue quality certificates for loose synthetic diamonds intended for commercial use,” said Ellen Joncheere, CEO of HRD Antwerp.

“In limited cases, we will continue to analyze synthetic diamonds, but strictly for research purposes. Jewellery containing synthetic stones will still be eligible for certification.”

HRD started grading lab growns in 2013, albeit with fewer grades of color and clarity than natural diamonds. In 2019 it aligned lab growns with natural stones, a move that appeared to signal greater parity between the two sectors.

Karen Rentmeesters, CEO of parent company AWDC, said: “By becoming the first diamond lab in the world to take an explicit and exclusive stance in favour of natural diamonds, HRD Antwerp is sending a strong signal.

“A clear distinction between natural and synthetic diamonds is essential to strengthen consumer trust and help safeguard the future of natural diamonds.”

Source: IDEX

Signet Enters Lab-Grown Market

James Allen Synthetic diamonds

James Allen has launched sales of lab-grown diamonds, marking parent company Signet Jewelers’ entry into the synthetics market.

The e-commerce business, which Signet acquired in 2017, now gives consumers the option of “earth-created” or “lab-created” stones on its retail page. James Allen is offering lab-grown as center stones for engagement rings, promising “up to 30% more size for the same cost.” At press time, the prices of lab-grown on the site ranged from $450 for a radiant, 0.52-carat stone to $48,350 for an emerald-cut, 4.49-carat diamond.

All its lab-grown diamonds will carry grading reports from laboratories such as the International Gemological Institute (IGI) or the Gem Certification & Assurance Lab (GCAL). The colors available on the James Allen site range from D to J, while clarities span from internally flawless to SI2.

Analysts were expecting Signet to move into the lab-grown market, after Gina Drosos, its CEO, said last year it was assessing demand, and would position itself to offer the category if consumers wanted it. It has taken a different approach from De Beers, which launched its Lightbox fashion-jewelry line a year ago with a standard price of $800 per carat and no grading reports.

Mined diamonds are still “the traditional choice,” James Allen notes in the questions-and-answers section of its site. But it emphasizes that its lab-grown stones are chemically identical and look the same as naturals, and that they are graded to the same standards.

Signet views James Allen as an incubator for testing out ideas, Drosos observed in an investor call in December. Late last year, it launched a concept store for the brand in Washington, DC, featuring new retail technology.

Source: Diamonds.net