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AGS Labs Resumes Grading of Lab-Grown Diamonds
It will use the same color and clarity grading scales that are used for natural diamonds but add a special designation.
A sample of AGS Labs’ new Laboratory-Grown Diamond Grading Report
Las Vegas—AGS Laboratories will once again grade lab-grown diamonds, the organization announced Monday.
The lab stopped offering the service in 2013 due to a lack of demand, Executive Director Jason Quick told National Jeweler.
Now, as demand for man-made stones has picked up, AGS Labs wanted to take a “fresh approach” to the grading report.
The new report for lab-grown diamonds is the result of more than a year of research and development to create one that aligns with AGS Labs’ mission of consumer protection and ensures consumers understand what they’re getting, Quick said.
The lab stopped offering the service in 2013 due to a lack of demand, Executive Director Jason Quick told National Jeweler.
Now, as demand for man-made stones has picked up, AGS Labs wanted to take a “fresh approach” to the grading report.
The new report for lab-grown diamonds is the result of more than a year of research and development to create one that aligns with AGS Labs’ mission of consumer protection and ensures consumers understand what they’re getting, Quick said.
Unlike GIA, AGS is using the standard color and clarity grading scales for lab-grown diamonds but adding “LG” (for “laboratory-grown”) to the grades.
The system is designed to distinguish the grading from natural diamonds while also providing a basis for comparison, Quick said.
For example, a lab-grown diamond could receive an “LG-D” color grade and an “LG-VS1” clarity grade.
The reports also will contain the following statement: “It is important to note that the color and clarity grades do not reflect the rarity of a laboratory-grown diamond, but rather the quality and consistency of the manufacturing process.”
AGS Labs’ lab-grown diamond grading reports also will offer the standard AGS 0 to 10 cut-grade scale, including the AGS Ideal cut grade, but does not utilize the “LG” designation used for color and clarity.
Additionally, the new report will contain a description of the laboratory-grown growth method used.
“We feel like that is important for the consumer to understand the details behind how the laboratory-grown diamond was created,” Quick said.
It will also offer explanations of the differences between the high pressure-high temperature (HPHT) and chemical vapor deposition (CVD) processes.
AGS Laboratories is starting with a pilot program for the lab-grown diamond reports and will open the service more broadly to the industry later this year.
The Laboratory-Grown Diamond Grading Report will be in a digital form only to start.
It’s a component of Only My Diamond for Laboratory-Grown Diamonds, an interactive online tool featuring additional educational information, including a special section on the 4Cs of man-made diamonds.
When asked if AGS Labs would eventually expand to printed reports, Quick said it will “re-evaluate enhancements throughout the pilot program.”
The system is designed to distinguish the grading from natural diamonds while also providing a basis for comparison, Quick said.
For example, a lab-grown diamond could receive an “LG-D” color grade and an “LG-VS1” clarity grade.
The reports also will contain the following statement: “It is important to note that the color and clarity grades do not reflect the rarity of a laboratory-grown diamond, but rather the quality and consistency of the manufacturing process.”
AGS Labs’ lab-grown diamond grading reports also will offer the standard AGS 0 to 10 cut-grade scale, including the AGS Ideal cut grade, but does not utilize the “LG” designation used for color and clarity.
Additionally, the new report will contain a description of the laboratory-grown growth method used.
“We feel like that is important for the consumer to understand the details behind how the laboratory-grown diamond was created,” Quick said.
It will also offer explanations of the differences between the high pressure-high temperature (HPHT) and chemical vapor deposition (CVD) processes.
A shot of the Only My Diamond platform, which is where AGS Labs’ Laboratory-Grown Diamond Grading Report is housed
AGS Laboratories is starting with a pilot program for the lab-grown diamond reports and will open the service more broadly to the industry later this year.
The Laboratory-Grown Diamond Grading Report will be in a digital form only to start.
It’s a component of Only My Diamond for Laboratory-Grown Diamonds, an interactive online tool featuring additional educational information, including a special section on the 4Cs of man-made diamonds.
When asked if AGS Labs would eventually expand to printed reports, Quick said it will “re-evaluate enhancements throughout the pilot program.”
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