The Lab Grown Diamond Council (LGDC) will create the first sustainability certification mark for synthetic diamonds to reassure consumers their stones have met rigorous environmental and social standards, the newly-established trade group said.
“Our mission is to create increased market clarity about the benefit of lab-grown diamonds,” LGDC chairman Michael Barlerin explained Wednesday. “This is a giant step in that process.”
The new standard will address environmental stewardship, social responsibility and economic viability. It will also establish a climate-neutrality benchmark goal for participating companies, the LGDC noted.
Before approving certification, the LGDC, together with third-party certifier and standards developer SCS Global Services, will conduct a comprehensive assessment of the lab-grown production process. That procedure will include compliance auditing, diamond testing and traceability. Once the process is completed, qualifying synthetics businesses will be issued an SCS Sustainably Grown Diamond certification mark.
“As consumers increasingly choose lab-grown diamonds, they want to be sure that their choices match their values,” said Stanley Mathuram, vice president of SCS. “Certification to the Sustainably Grown Diamond standard will provide the scientifically robust reassurance that consumers are looking for, demonstrating company performance in meeting rigorous environmental and social requirements.”
