HRD Antwerp will no longer issue certificates for loose lab-grown diamonds — a move it hopes will reaffirm its role as an international hub for natural stones and create a clear distinction between the two.
Barring certificates for synthetics will allow the Belgian-based grading lab to focus exclusively on natural diamonds and help strengthen consumer trust, HRD said Wednesday. The organization will still issue reports for jewelry containing synthetic diamonds.
“By becoming the first diamond lab in the world to take an explicit and exclusive stance in favor of natural diamonds, HRD Antwerp is sending a strong signal,” said Karen Rentmeesters, CEO of the Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC), which is HRD’s parent company. “A clear distinction between natural and synthetic diamonds is essential to strengthen consumer trust and help safeguard the future of natural diamonds.”
HRD first began issuing reports for loose synthetics in 2013. In 2019, it amended the language of those reports to match its natural-diamond ones, expanding its color categories and 4Cs terminology.
The new grading rules will go into effect in 2026. HRD will continue to analyze synthetic diamonds “in limited cases” for research purposes, it added.
Image: HRD Antwerp’s lab-grown-diamond grading report. (HRD Antwerp)