AGS Labs Opens Lab-Grown Diamond Grading Reports to the Industry

Las Vegas—After a year-long pilot program, AGS Laboratories has opened its lab-grown diamond grading service to all members of the industry.

The lab announced last August it would once again offer grading reports for lab-grown diamonds, a service it offered until 2013 but then stopped due to a lack of demand, Executive Director Jason Quick told National Jeweler last year. 

It began the service again with a few select clients, but the test period has reached its conclusion, AGS said, noting the service is now open to everyone.  

The Laboratory-Grown Diamond Grading Report 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, it said. 

It features details on the diamond’s growth method, cut, color, clarity, shapes, and measurements, as well as two laser inscriptions to act as a unique identifier. 

AGS is using the standard color and clarity grading scales for lab-grown diamonds but adding “LG” (for “laboratory-grown”) to the grades 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.”

The reports also 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.

The report comes in a digital format, though a printed copy can be requested, and is a component of Only My Diamond for lab-grown diamonds, an interactive online tool featuring additional educational information, including a special section on the 4Cs of man-made diamonds.

AGS Laboratories also launched a proprietary lab-grown diamond grading report, which can be customized to include a client’s brand and logo.

“We tested our program successfully over the course of the past year and are thrilled we can now offer this special report to the industry at large,” Quick said in a press release about the news.

“We’d like to thank the clients who participated in the tests: Altr, Ada Diamonds, and Lumex. Because of them, we feel wholly confident in our official launch of the Laboratory-Grown Diamond Grading Report, which provides consumers with a detailed assessment of their diamond’s quality.”

For more information about the new service, visit AmercanGemSociety.com.