Editor’s Note
This article examines two key developments in the diamond industry: the IGI’s analysis of a notable gift to the First Lady and India’s significant 15% share of the global lab-grown diamond market. It also highlights the gemological analysis of “Shiphra,” a milestone lab-grown diamond exceeding 50 carats.
The IGI (International Gemological Institute) has analyzed this diamond gifted to the First Lady. Furthermore, the Ministry of Commerce states that India currently produces 15% of all lab-created diamonds in the world. Simultaneously, the gemological laboratory analyzed the first lab-grown diamond to surpass the significant “half-century” mark in carat weight, named “Shiphra”.
The First Lady of the United States, Jill Biden, received a 7.50-carat lab-created diamond. This was a gift from the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi. The IGI, the world’s largest independent gemological laboratory, is pleased to have analyzed and graded this diamond.
Manufactured by the producer Greenlab, based in Surat, Modi’s gift to the First Lady stands out for its exceptional quality, achieved through environmentally friendly production methods and national symbolism. Celebrating the 75th anniversary of India’s independence, the 7.5-carat round brilliant is Type IIa, the purest category of diamond. It measures 12.43 – 12.53 x 7.78 millimeters, shows F color, VVS2 clarity, ideal cut quality, and “Hearts & Arrows” craftsmanship—a category reserved for the world’s most precisely cut diamonds. The rough crystal was cultivated using environmentally friendly solar and wind energy, reducing carbon emissions to only 0.028 grams per carat.
According to the Ministry of Commerce, India currently produces 15% of all lab-created diamonds in the world, primarily through the Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) growth process. IGI pioneered the grading of lab-grown diamonds in 2005, aiming to ensure transparency and disclosure in an emerging sector.
Between 2010 and 2022, the market size grew from less than $1.00 billion to $11.30 billion and could reach 19.2 million carats by 2030. Currently, IGI grades over 90% of lab-grown diamonds and lab-grown diamond jewelry.
Furthermore, in the last two months, IGI analyzed and graded several record-breaking stones, including a 50.25-carat sample measuring 22.95 x 18.45 x 11.57 millimeters—the first lab-grown diamond to surpass the significant “half-century” mark in carat weight. Named “Shiphra”, this new world record holder is an Emerald cut Type IIa, showing G color, VS2 clarity, and excellent cut, polish, and symmetry. Shiphra has been widely hailed as a historic achievement in the lab-grown diamond sector.