SJC, GIL and Saint CarbonEase jointly launch a 4C + Carbon report for pioneering jewelry brand EDITIONS DE JEWELS SAINT LEE

In June 2026, the Sustainable Jewelry Council (SJC), together with GIL and Saint CarbonEase, presented China’s first 5C report for a lab-grown diamond at the 2026 Shanghai International Carbon Neutrality Expo in Technologies, Products and Achievements.

The 5C report is linked to a polished lab-grown diamond from the pioneering jewelry brand EDITIONS DE JEWELS SAINT LEE. Its traditional 4C grading information is provided by GIL, while the fifth C — Carbon — is supported by Saint CarbonEase through carbon data, carbon traceability information and a consumer-facing Carbon Verified page. The 5C concept and industry framework are introduced and promoted by SJC.

This marks an important step for the lab-grown diamond sector in China: connecting the gemological identity of a polished diamond with its carbon data through a transparent, product-level digital page that can be accessed by consumers via QR code.

What Is 5C: 4C + Carbon

For decades, the diamond industry has been built around the 4Cs: Carat, Color, Clarity and Cut. These four parameters define the gemological characteristics of a diamond and provide the foundation for grading, pricing and consumer understanding.

However, as sustainability, supply chain transparency and product carbon footprint disclosure become increasingly important in the global jewelry industry, 4C alone is no longer enough to answer the questions of the next generation of consumers.

Consumers today may want to know not only how large, white or clear a diamond is, but also where it comes from, what type of energy was used in its production, which supply chain steps it passed through, and whether its carbon data can be clearly disclosed.

The 5C concept introduced by SJC adds a fifth dimension to the traditional 4Cs:

Carbon.

5C does not replace 4C. Instead, it builds on the existing diamond grading system by adding carbon traceability and carbon data disclosure. For lab-grown diamonds, 5C provides a pathway to move from a parameter-based certificate to a more transparent sustainability-linked report.

A Consumer-Facing Carbon Verified Page for a Single Polished Diamond

The focus of this debut is not an abstract technology solution or a general corporate brochure. It is a Carbon Verified page for a single polished lab-grown diamond.

After scanning the QR code, consumers can view four key categories of information related to the EDITIONS DE JEWELS SAINT LEE lab-grown diamond.

First, the page presents the diamond’s 4C grading information, including carat weight, color, clarity and cut-related data, provided by GIL.

Second, it presents the fifth C — Carbon — including Carbon Verified status, carbon footprint-related data, calculation scope and data boundary.

Third, it shows the carbon data journey of the diamond, from rough growth and cutting and polishing to logistics, finished product identification and digital page binding.

Fourth, it clarifies the sources of information and the responsibility boundaries among the participating parties: the 4C grading information, the Carbon data, the branded product and the 5C framework.

This means that consumers are not simply seeing a general claim such as “green” or “low-carbon.” Instead, they are viewing a product-level page connected to one specific polished lab-grown diamond.

Four-Party Collaboration: Giving a Diamond Both a Gemological Identity and a Carbon Data Identity

This 5C report is the result of collaboration among SJC, GIL, Saint CarbonEase and EDITIONS DE JEWELS SAINT LEE.

SJC is responsible for introducing the 5C concept and the broader industry communication framework, helping the lab-grown diamond industry move from traditional 4C certification toward 4C + Carbon disclosure.

GIL provides the 4C grading information for the diamond, giving the product its gemological identity.

Saint CarbonEase supports the Carbon component, including carbon data presentation, carbon data journey and the Carbon Verified page.

EDITIONS DE JEWELS SAINT LEE, as the brand partner, provides the polished lab-grown diamond linked to the report and becomes the pioneering jewelry brand associated with China’s first 5C lab-grown diamond report.

Through this collaboration, a lab-grown diamond can carry not only a conventional 4C grading report, but also a carbon data identity related to sustainability and supply chain transparency.

The 2026 Shanghai International Carbon Neutrality Expo: Bringing Jewelry into a Broader Low-Carbon Context

The 2026 Shanghai International Carbon Neutrality Expo in Technologies, Products and Achievements is scheduled to take place from June 10 to 12, 2026, at the Shanghai New International Expo Center, according to the official expo website.

The expo is now in its fourth edition and is expected to cover around 40,000 square meters, with nearly 300 companies participating, according to China Daily’s report on the municipal government press briefing.

By presenting a 5C report for a lab-grown diamond at the Carbon Neutrality Expo, SJC aims to place the jewelry industry within a wider low-carbon industrial context.

Jewelry is not typically viewed as a heavy industrial sector, but it is a category built on trust, emotion and value communication. For this reason, the jewelry industry needs clear, credible and understandable data to respond to growing consumer expectations around sustainability.

The Carbon Verified page for a single polished lab-grown diamond is also a practical exploration of how carbon data disclosure can be applied to individual consumer products.

China’s Renewable Energy Growth Creates a New Context for Carbon Disclosure

The debut of the 5C report also comes at a time when China’s energy structure is changing rapidly.

According to China’s National Energy Administration, by the end of 2025, China’s cumulative grid-connected wind and solar power capacity reached 1.84 billion kilowatts, accounting for 47.3 percent of total installed power capacity and historically surpassing thermal power. Wind and solar power generation in 2025 increased by 25 percent year on year and accounted for 22 percent of total power generation.

For the lab-grown diamond industry, this development matters.

The carbon footprint of a lab-grown diamond is closely related to electricity. Energy consumption during rough growth, the power emission factor of the production location, the proportion of renewable electricity used, energy consumed during cutting and polishing, and logistics routes can all affect the carbon footprint of a finished diamond.

Therefore, determining whether a lab-grown diamond is lower-carbon should not rely on country labels or broad marketing claims. It requires product-level data, clear calculation boundaries and supply chain transparency.

This is where the 5C report can create value.

From “Made in China” to “Measured in China”

China is one of the world’s most important production and supply chain centers for lab-grown diamonds. However, in global discussions around sustainability, China-made jewelry products are sometimes evaluated through broad assumptions rather than specific data.

SJC believes that carbon footprint discussions in the jewelry industry should move beyond country labels and return to measurable evidence.

The carbon data of a lab-grown diamond should not be determined by geographic stereotypes. It should be explained through actual energy use, production processes, supply chain routes and defined calculation boundaries.

The significance of China’s first 5C report for a lab-grown diamond lies in this shift: from being externally judged to proactively disclosing data; from sustainability slogans to product-level digital transparency.

5C as a New Interface for Jewelry Communication

For jewelry brands, a 5C report can help translate sustainability from an abstract idea into a page that consumers can see, understand and share.

For supply chain companies, it can become a new way to demonstrate low-carbon manufacturing capability, energy structure improvement and data management practices.

For consumers, it allows a lab-grown diamond to be understood not only as a larger or more accessible diamond option, but also as a product that can carry transparency, responsibility and carbon data.

For a pioneering jewelry brand such as EDITIONS DE JEWELS SAINT LEE, the 5C report provides a new language for product value: one that connects design, material innovation, gemological information and carbon transparency.

This reflects a broader shift in the lab-grown diamond industry. The next stage of competition will not be only about price, grading reports or specifications. It will also be about which brands and supply chains can better explain their energy sources, carbon data boundaries and responsibilities.

From the Carbon Neutrality Expo to a More Transparent Jewelry Future

From 4C to 5C, this is not only an upgrade of a report. It is also an upgrade in how the lab-grown diamond industry communicates value.

SJC will continue to work with gemological laboratories, carbon data platforms, lab-grown diamond producers, cutting and polishing partners, and jewelry brands to support the development of Carbon Verified pages for more polished lab-grown diamonds.

China’s first 5C report for a lab-grown diamond, presented at the Shanghai International Carbon Neutrality Expo, is only the beginning.

The future of lab-grown diamonds will require not only more transparent pricing, but also more transparent data; not only complete 4C grading reports, but also a future-facing fifth C:

Carbon.