HRD Antwerp, one of the world's leading diamond grading labs, has announced it will stop issuing certificates for loose lab-grown diamonds starting in 2026.
💎 Why the move?
- The goal is to reinforce Antwerp’s status as a global hub for natural diamonds.
- It’s also aimed at strengthening consumer trust by making a clear distinction between natural and synthetic stones.
🗣️ Karen Rentmeesters, CEO of the Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC), said:
“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.”
📄 HRD Antwerp will:
- ❌ No longer issue reports for loose synthetics
- ✅ Still provide reports for jewelry that contains lab-grown diamonds
- 🧬 Continue analyzing lab-grown diamonds for research purposes only
🔙 Background:
- HRD started certifying synthetics in 2013
- In 2019, it aligned the language of synthetic reports with that of natural ones
- The lab now pivots back toward focusing on only natural stones
📅 Effective: 2026