(IDEX Online) - The International Grown Diamond Association (IGDA) said that the Gem Certification and Assurance Lab (GCAL) has joined the organization.
GCAL is the first diamond and gemstone laboratory to join the organization, the IGDA said. With almost 40 members, which includes lab-grown diamond growers, distributors, suppliers, retailers and technical experts, IGDA members span the US, China, Singapore, India, Philippines, Russia, Canada and Hong Kong.
GCAL has been supportive of the evolving lab grown diamond industry, providing full level certification of lab-grown diamonds since 2015, the IGDA said in a statement. According to COO Angelo Palmieri, "GCAL recognizes the importance of disclosure and consumer awareness, and applauds IGDA's goals to that end. Lab-grown diamonds have shown there is a place in the market for this new category, and we are grateful to be able to play a small role in advancing the understanding and technology behind them."
IGDA's Secretary General, Richard Garard, also CEO of Microwave Enterprises, said: "Adding a leading certification laboratory like GCAL as a member is a key step in the growth of our young industry and we look forward to working with the GCAL team to promote and educate the market place on lab-grown diamonds. In less than two years since launching IGDA, we have grown to 40 members and have emerged as a collective front for the lab-grown diamond industry, worldwide."
IGDA is a not-for-profit organization established in the US that represents the lab-grown diamond industry, promotes lab-grown diamonds and educates the market about the unique qualities & applications of lab-grown diamonds.