Lab Launches Synthetic Diamond Course

RAPAPORT... Gemological Science International (GSI) has launched a new online educational course dedicated to lab-grown diamonds, it said Tuesday.The Laboratory-Grown Diamond Essentials class was created in response to the rapid rise in the number of companies active in the sector, as well as increased consumer demand for synthetics, GSI noted. "It is imperative that the jewelry industry has the ability to communicate about laboratory-grown diamonds confidently and with transparency," said GSI chief learning officer Alethea Inns. GSI has graded and identified hundreds of thousands of lab-grown diamonds, with its team of researchers and scientists making several notable discoveries in their identification. The organization feels the information they learned, which will be included in the course, will be valuable to the industry."There are many nuances when it comes to lab-grown diamonds; from their growth methods and treatments, to understanding the various inclusions, color undertones and other factors - it's not exactly the same as natural diamonds," said GSI president Debbie Azar.In March, GSI announced it would disclose the growth method and any post-growth treatments or enhancements of synthetic stones in its lab-grown grading reports.Image: A 9.04-carat round brilliant produced by WD Lab Grown Diamonds in 2018 using chemical vapor deposition. (WD Lab Grown Diamonds)