The Industry Is Dropping “Lab-Grown.” Here Is What Comes Next.

Luxe Gem Insider
12 minutes ago
3 min read

One word is about to change the way the entire jewellery industry talks about man-made stones. And the organisations leading the shift are the oldest and most authoritative in the business.

CIBJO, the World Jewellery Confederation, is preparing to vote at its centenary congress this week on removing the terms “laboratory-grown” and “laboratory-created” from its Gemstone Blue Book, replacing both with a single, starker word: “synthetic.” The vote is scheduled for Monday, 7 September, during the CIBJO Centenary Congress in Vicenza, Italy, which runs from 4 to 7 September 2026.

A Century of Standards, and a Defining Decision

CIBJO has set global benchmarks for gemological nomenclature, grading, and trade ethics since its founding in 1926. Its Blue Books are the closest thing the jewellery world has to internationally agreed standards, referenced by gem labs, retailers, and regulators across more than 40 member countries.

The decision to adopt “synthetic” has been in discussion for over a year. It marks a deliberate move toward language that, in CIBJO’s view, more accurately distinguishes man-made material from its natural counterpart. In parallel, the organisation has issued ten pre-congress special reports covering topics from lab-grown gemstones and artificial intelligence in jewellery design to the integrity of gem laboratory reports. The scope signals how broadly the confederation is mapping the industry’s next chapter.

The congress opens on Friday, 4 September, with a keynote from Gareth Penny, former chief executive of De Beers Group, whose tenure at the world’s largest diamond producer spanned some of the most turbulent years in the natural diamond trade.

AGTA Moves First

AGTA, the American Gem Trade Association, did not wait for Vicenza. The Dallas-based organisation released the 17th edition of its Gemstone Information Manual this week and simultaneously updated its Code of Ethics to require members to use the words “synthetic” or “man-made” when describing any manufactured material.

“Clear and consistent language is essential to consumer confidence,” said AGTA president Bruce Bridges in a statement accompanying the release.

The manual update brings AGTA’s member disclosure requirements into alignment with the direction CIBJO is expected to formalise this weekend.

What This Means for Buyers

For consumers, the practical effect will unfold gradually. Retailers and gem labs that align with CIBJO or AGTA standards will begin updating their documentation, grading reports, and product descriptions. A diamond or ruby described today as “laboratory-grown” may carry the designation “synthetic” on its paperwork within the year.

The term “synthetic” is not new to gemology. GIA, the Gemological Institute of America, has used it alongside other descriptors for decades. What is new is the coordinated, standards-level push to make it the singular preferred term across the trade.

For anyone currently shopping for a lab-grown stone, or selling one, the stone itself does not change. The science, the quality, and the value proposition remain exactly as they were. What changes is the language on the certificate.

Luxury houses including Tiffany and Co., Cartier, and Van Cleef & Arpels have thus far concentrated their fine jewellery offer around natural stones, where provenance and rarity remain central to the value narrative. For independent jewellers and specialist retailers that work across both natural and lab-grown stones, the terminology shift will require clear, updated communication with clients at the point of sale. London-based bespoke house Taylor & Hart, New York independent Frank Darling, and Hong Kong fine jeweller Fresh Recollection are among the specialists whose client conversations will need to reflect the new language.