Definition of “diamond” expanded to include lab-grown
24 March 2009
As reported on the National Jeweler website, The Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC), a jewelry industry watchdog, has expanded its definition of a diamond to include those that are laboratory-grown.
The RJC expanded the definition in order to welcome lab-grown diamond producers as RJC members and, therefore, as participants in the RJC System of Certification, which involves having third-party auditors verify that diamond producers are conforming with RJC’s ethical, human rights, social and environmental standards.
The RJC now defines a diamond as:
“A mineral (natural or laboratory-grown) consisting essentially of pure carbon crystallized with a cubic structure in the isometric system.”
The definition also states that a diamond’s hardness on the Mohs scale is approximately 10; its specific gravity is approximately 3.52; it has a refractive index of approximately 2.42 and can be found in multiple colors.
Amended in the RJC’s membership application forms and on its Web site, the new diamond definition also will be incorporated in the core system documents of the RJC’s certification system later this year.
In addition to the expanding the definition of a diamond, the RJC also renamed its “mining membership” category to “diamond and/or gold producer.”
Lab-grown (also called lab-created, man-made or cultured diamonds) are considered by many to be the most socially and environmentally responsible alternative for conscious consumers. C5 offers only ethically sourced diamonds including lab-grown. Learn more at www.C5company.com.
