13:39 uur 20-09-2022

Canadian Company Groupe RSL produceert Canada’s eerste in het laboratorium gekweekte diamantjuweel

De in Quebec gevestigde Groupe RSL innoveert om de diamantsector naar nieuwe hoogten te stuwen

MONTREAL–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Groupe RSL is het eerste bedrijf dat een in het Canadese laboratorium gekweekte diamanten edelsteen produceert in zijn productiefaciliteit in Quebec. Het bedrijf produceert momenteel grote diamanten voor de premium juwelenmarkt. Met duurzaamheid als kern van haar aanpak, gelooft Groupe RSL dat laboratoriumdiamanten het potentieel hebben om de milieu-impact van diamantproductie aanzienlijk te verminderen.

“Laboratoriumdiamanten hebben het potentieel om een revolutie teweeg te brengen in de sector, terwijl ze de milieu- en menselijke kosten die gepaard gaan met de diamantproductie verminderen”, zegt Luke Sinclair, CFO van Groupe RSL. “Consumenten zoeken meer transparantie in de diamanten die ze kopen, en we zijn er vast van overtuigd dat de sector niet op gespannen voet hoeft te staan met het milieu of de principes van sociale verantwoordelijkheid. We zijn verheugd om te zien hoe de in het laboratorium gekweekte diamantsector de komende jaren evolueert.”

Canadian Company Groupe RSL Produces Canada’s First Lab-Grown Diamond Gem

Quebec-based Groupe RSL innovates to push the diamond industry to new heights

MONTREAL–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Groupe RSL is the first company to produce a Canadian lab-grown diamond gem, at its production facility in Quebec. The company is currently producing large diamonds for the premium jewellery market. With sustainability at the heart of its approach, Groupe RSL believes that lab diamonds have the potential to significantly reduce the environmental impacts of diamond production.

“Laboratory diamonds have the potential to revolutionize the industry, while reducing the environmental and human costs associated with diamond production,” said Luke Sinclair, CFO of Groupe RSL. “Consumers are seeking greater transparency in the diamonds that they purchase, and we firmly believe that the industry need not be at odds with the environment or principles of social responsibility. We are excited to see how the lab-grown diamond industry evolves over the coming years.”

Groupe RSL produces its diamonds locally in Quebec using a chemical vapour deposition, or CVD, process, whereby hydrogen and methane gas are combined in a plasma under precise conditions to grow diamonds one atom at a time over a period of several weeks to a month. Powered entirely by hydroelectricity, Groupe RSL has developed its own unique process to become the first Canadian company to use this approach to make diamond gems.

“For most of human scientific history, we thought that it was impossible to make diamonds in anything but the hottest high-pressure conditions. That’s why early attempts at man-made diamond focused on replicating the intense pressure that creates diamonds beneath the ground,” adds Sinclair. “Recent research has brought to light a new idea, using hydrogen and methane gas in a controlled reaction.”

Mined diamonds vs. lab-created diamonds

Mined diamonds and lab created diamonds are identical—chemically, physically and optically, and cannot be distinguished from one another without highly specialized equipment. In fact, mined diamonds often contain defects or impurities, both of which can be controlled or removed in lab diamonds.

Consumer shift

There has been a significant increase in demand for lab-grown diamonds in recent years, with lab diamond’s share of diamond sales more than doubling between 2020 and 2022.1 Millennials and Generation Z are moving away from mined diamonds, with nearly 70% of millennials considering buying a lab grown alternative.2 Consumers also seek greater transparency to ensure diamonds are sourced responsibly and produced sustainably. For example, nine in ten Generation Z consumers believe companies have a responsibility to address environmental and social issues.

About Groupe RSL Inc.

Groupe RSL Inc. is an innovative producer of diamond and the only Canadian producer of lab diamonds for the jewellery market. The company produces diamonds using a unique CVD process and technology. Groupe RSL produces beautiful and sustainable Canadian diamonds at its Quebec-based facility which is powered by 100% hydroelectricity. While their diamonds last forever, the company is committed to ensuring their ecological and social footprint does not. For more information, visit www.groupersl.com.

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1 Diamond industry analyst Edahn Golan. https://www.gemsociety.org/news/2022/05/18/interest-lab-grown-diamonds-surging-shows-no-signs-of-stopping/#:~:text=In%202020%2C%20lab%20diamond’s%20share,be%20expected%2C%E2%80%9D%20said%20Golan
2 Millennial Consumer Research Lab Grown Diamonds, MVI Marketing LLC, May 3, 2018.

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Eric Aach

514-569-3594

eaach@national.ca

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