(PRESS RELEASE) NEW YORK — The International Gemological Institute (IGI), the pioneer of lab-grown diamond certification since 2005, announces that new details highlighting the manufacturing process of lab-grown diamonds are added to Institute reports, effective January 2021. While previous reports always indicated that lab-grown diamonds “may include post-growth treatments to alter color,” the Institute conducted in-depth research and data collection using the most up-to-date technology to confidently state if the diamond was “as grown” or may have been treated.
“The popularity of lab-grown diamonds has heightened since IGI debuted the industry’s first reporting of the man-made gemstones 16 years ago,” said IGI CEO Roland Lorie. “As the technology advances and demand evolves, the Institute will continue to do right by the consumer and provide the highest quality of certification and customer service.”
Providing accurate information to the end consumer has always been IGI’s priority, therefore IGI elevated its initial recognition of any treatment at the back of each report to detail specific treatment of lab-grown diamonds. For untreated Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) and High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT) diamonds, the new reports will outline the individual growth process and indicate specifically that the stones are “as grown with no indication of post-growth treatment.” For the other CVD-created diamonds, the reports will note that they “may include post-growth treatment.”
“At IGI, we are dedicated to enhancing the Institute’s offerings while keeping the best interest of consumers in mind,” noted IGI Managing Director Arnaud Lorie. “We recognize that our customers deserve the highest level of confidence for their fine jewelry, diamonds, and gemstones, and we are proud to unveil a new level of transparency in our reporting.”
Customers will also have the opportunity to request specific diamond types, including type IIa for CVD diamonds and type II for HPHT diamonds. Further, the Institute is working to incorporate additional commentary for post-growth treatment of fancy color diamonds in the near future.
For more information on IGI and its offerings, visit igi.org and gemblog.igi.org.