GIA‘s Key Points • The GIA’s description of laboratory-grown diamonds has evolved in tandem with the product, consumer interest, and the market. • Recent changes will benefit both retailers and consumers, providing them with the necessary information to make informed decisions. • The beginning of a clearer separation between markets for natural and laboratory-grown diamonds has been identified. |
The jewellery industry was informed of these changes in early June, and the changes came into effect in early October.
In particular, the revised Laboratory-Grown Diamond Quality Assessment uses descriptive terms to characterise the quality of laboratory-grown diamonds and no longer employs the colour and clarity nomenclature developed by the GIA for natural diamonds.
The GIA’s services confirm that the submitted item is a laboratory-grown diamond and determine whether it falls into one of two categories, ‘premium’ or ‘standard.’
The categories are defined by a combination of metrics related to colour, clarity and finish.
If the man-made diamond fails to achieve the minimum standard for quality, it does not receive a designation from GIA.
Each submitted diamond’s girdle will be laser inscribed with the term “Laboratory-Grown” and the GIA quality assessment number.?
The GIA developed the universally accepted colour and clarity scales for natural diamonds in the 1940s to communicate their characteristics and reduce consumer confusion.
The iconic ‘4Cs’ as we know it today were created by GIA founder Robert M. Shipley. A former jewellery retailer, Shipley was intent on professionalising the US jewellery industry. The GIA was established in 1931 and Shipley was a tireless advocate for improved knowledge, ethics, and standards in the industry.
Shipley created the 4Cs as a mnemonic device to help students remember the four factors that characterise a faceted diamond: colour, clarity, cut, and carat weight.
The concept was simple, but revolutionary.
The GIA has been grading laboratory-grown diamonds since 2007. At the time, these reports were known as ‘Synthetic Diamond Reports’ and used descriptive terms. This was changed to ‘Laboratory-Grown Diamond Reports’ in 2019, acknowledging the Federal Trade Commission’s decision to remove ‘synthetic’ from its list of recommended descriptors.
Further alterations followed in 2020, when the reports were changed and the traditional 4Cs were used to communicate the characteristics of laboratory-grown diamonds. After five years, these services have undergone further change, with the reintroduction of descriptive terms, namely, ‘premium’ and ‘standard’.
It is important to understand that how the GIA has described laboratory-grown diamonds has evolved as the product, consumer interest, and the market have evolved. Whether there will be further changes in GIA’s evaluation services will depend on those factors.
Since 95 per cent of laboratory-grown diamonds in the market fall within a narrow range of colour and clarity because of advances in manufacturing, it is no longer appropriate to use the nomenclature developed by the GIA to describe the broader spectrum of those qualities in natural diamonds for laboratory-grown diamonds.
The GIA 4Cs scales are based on observations of the range of colour and clarity that naturally occurs in natural diamonds.
The scales that describe the broad variation of colour and clarity in natural diamonds do not apply to the very narrow range of colour and clarity of laboratory-grown diamonds.
Therefore, it is more appropriate to use descriptive terms rather than grades for such small differences in colour and clarity.
This change will help differentiate natural diamonds and laboratory-grown diamonds, providing a greater understanding of their differing origins, characteristics, and qualities. This will benefit both retailers and consumers, providing them with the necessary information to make informed decisions.
The GIA expected a variety of reactions to these changes. However, the overall response has been mostly positive. Overall, our clients, retailers, and consumers seem to understand the changes and our reasoning.
Speaking broadly, the GIA has identified the beginning of a clearer separation between markets for natural and laboratory-grown diamonds, similar to what has historically occurred with natural and man-made colour gemstones.
These changes are not a matter of distancing oneself from any one product or segment but rather promoting trust and transparency. The GIA is a mission-driven organisation. We work every day to help ensure that everyone in the gemstone and jewellery industry, especially consumers, has a clear understanding of what they are purchasing.
This is crucial for maintaining the trust that our industry relies on. Using this updated nomenclature for laboratory-grown diamonds will help differentiate them from natural diamonds, alleviate confusion among consumers, and build upon the legacy of the GIA more broadly: Advocating for improved knowledge, ethics, and standards in the jewellery industry.
THE GREAT DIAMOND DEBATE III
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