Editor’s Note
A new world record has been set in the field of lab-grown diamonds, with a 156.47-carat single-crystal diamond cultivated in China. This breakthrough highlights the rapid technological advancements and growing scale of the synthetic diamond industry.
At the 15th China (Henan) International Investment & Trade Fair, Henan Liliang Diamond Co., Ltd. officially announced the successful cultivation of a lab-grown diamond rough weighing 156.47 carats. Authoritatively certified by the International Gemological Institute (IGI), this cultivated diamond surpasses the previous world record of 150.42 carats set by Meylor Global in 2022, becoming the largest known single-crystal lab-grown diamond in the world. This achievement marks a significant technological breakthrough for China in the field of ultra-hard materials.
In recent years, the lab-grown diamond industry has utilized technologies such as the High-Pressure High-Temperature (HPHT) method or Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) to simulate the natural diamond formation environment in laboratories, producing diamonds with physical and chemical properties almost identical to natural diamonds. Henan Province, particularly Zhecheng County in Shangqiu, serves as a major production base for lab-grown diamonds in China, hosting 223 ultra-hard material enterprises and forming a complete industrial chain.
According to data from the “2023 Henan Province National Economic and Social Development Statistical Bulletin,” Henan’s lab-grown diamond output reached 19 billion carats in 2023, demonstrating the region’s formidable production capacity in this field. The successful cultivation of this 156.47-carat diamond rough not only represents a breakthrough in the weight of a single diamond but also symbolizes a technological leap from quantitative growth to qualitative advancement for China in the ultra-hard materials sector.
This technological breakthrough will further enhance China’s influence in the global lab-grown diamond market and propel the ultra-hard materials industry towards higher-end development. With the continuous advancement of lab-grown diamond technology, its potential in both industrial applications and the jewelry market will be more fully realized.