India’s Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) has assumed the rules and terminology for synthetic diamonds the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) implemented in 2018.
The guidelines, which require any businesses selling synthetics to qualify the word diamond with terms such as “cultured,” “laboratory-created” or “laboratory-grown,” will help prevent consumers from being misled, the GJEPC said last week. Terms such as “real,” “authentic” and “genuine”, as well as the word “diamond” on its own, can refer only to natural.
The trade body is also working to ensure compliance from its members and the wider industry, it explained. It is cooperating with the Consumer Affairs Ministry to align the new definition with the country’s consumer laws.
“This initiative is in consumer interest and protects their rights while shielding them from misinformation,” said GJEPC chairman Vipul Shah. “The…definition reflects technological advancements and ensures clarity in diamond marketing.”
Both natural and lab-grown producers have already fallen in line with the rules, and it is time for marketing to catch up as well, Shah stresses.
“We have urged the government to align with the advancements and economic significance of lab-grown diamonds by adopting a forward-looking policy framework,” said Smit Patel, convener for GJEPC’s lab-grown diamond panel. “In terms of enforcement: Noncompliance can lead to lawsuits and civil penalties in the US.”
Image: Lab-grown diamonds. (Shutterstock)
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