Gemstone Industry & Laboratory Conference (GILC)

An ICA Invitation Only event!

A Conversation Between Gemstone Traders and Professional

Gemological Laboratories

• Date: Sunday, February 2nd, 2025

• Time: 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

• Venue: Tucson Marriott University Park

• Address: 880 E 2nd St, Tucson, AZ 85719

The ICA is cognizant of the confusing and often controversial environment being experienced by the diamond industry with respect to natural versus synthetic materials and recognizes the imperative to address this issue before we encounter similar chaotic developments with respect to colored gemstones.

The colored gemstone dealer community will have a discussion with our laboratory colleagues on how the laboratories are addressing synthetic/laboratory grown colored stones in their reports. To that end we have selected this to be the topic of our 2025 ICA Gem Industry & Laboratory Conference.

How industry laboratories report on synthetic/laboratory

grown colored stones.

Topics discussed will include :

1. Consistency between the major laboratories in the identification of synthetic materials.

2. The general appearance of laboratory reports contrasting natural reports and synthetics reports and whether the similarity and/or difference in reports may cause confusion amongst consumer/client.

3. The development of consistent or lack of consistent language with respect to synthetics/lab grown materials.

4. Batch testing and/or moderate fees for determining natural vs. synthetic is lower cost materials.

GILC Event Photos

^{Some of the most recent GILC events.}