The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) is revamping how it grades and describes lab-grown diamonds, further separating them from their natural counterparts in its reports.

Announced Monday, the updated system will introduce new descriptive categories — premium and standard — based on a combination of color, clarity, and finish. This marks a shift away from using the same color and clarity scale the GIA developed for natural diamonds.

“The GIA will no longer apply the traditional grading nomenclature used for natural diamonds when describing lab-grown stones,” the institute said. “Instead, it will use quality-based descriptions that more accurately reflect the characteristics and manufacturing consistency of synthetic diamonds.”

Lab-grown diamonds that do not meet the minimum threshold for either the premium or standard designation will not receive a quality label. This change is intended to help consumers better understand the key distinctions between natural and lab-grown stones, the GIA emphasized.

“More than 95% of lab-grown diamonds fall within a narrow band of color and clarity, making the traditional grading system less relevant for them,” said Tom Moses, executive vice president and chief laboratory and research officer at GIA. “This update aligns lab-grown diamond grading with how we already handle other man-made gem materials.”

The GIA will continue its current grading system for lab-grown diamonds until the new approach is finalized. Updated pricing and submission procedures will be released by the end of the third quarter. Existing reports already issued for lab-grown diamonds will remain valid.