UK Ad Regulator Slaps Jewelers for Improper Lab-Grown Disclosure

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has handed down a ruling on two jewelers who put out promotions for synthetics without qualifying the word “diamond.”

Linjer Jewelers, based out of Hong Kong, put out two promotions, one with the wording “Discover our brilliant diamonds,” with an image showing two rings with clear gemstones. The second ad called the company’s jewelry “sustainable,” with “ethically sourced gemstones,” the UK’s independent regulator of advertising across all media said in a ruling Wednesday. The ads were brought to the ASA’s attention by the Natural Diamond Council (NDC) and the London Diamond Bourse (LDB).

In response, Linjer claimed it did not realize its ads breached the code, which requires jewelry sold and advertised to use qualifiers when referring to synthetics, including “lab-grown” or “lab-created.”  The ASA’s ruling requires the company to remove the ads.

“We understood that ‘brilliant’ described a type of diamond cut, but we did not consider the average consumer would have been aware of that meaning and, in that context, we considered they were likely to take ‘brilliant diamonds’ to refer to diamonds generally,” the ASA explained. “We considered that whether a diamond was natural or synthetic would be a key consideration for many consumers and was therefore material information.”

Meanwhile, the ASA also called two paid-for Meta ads from Novita Diamonds into question. One showed an image of a diamond ring alongside the text “Novita Diamonds ready-to-ship engagement rings 1-10 days.” The second ad included a video featuring clips of diamond rings being shown from different angles, with text stating “timeless designs premium diamonds.”

Novita did not agree that its ads were misleading, noting that they “did not state or imply the diamonds were mined, natural, rare or extracted from the earth.” The company also argued that “lab-grown diamonds met the scientific and gemological definition of ‘diamond’ because they shared the same chemical composition, crystal structure and physical and optimal properties as mined diamonds,” and that the method of formation did not change the material.

The UK-based jeweler also said there was no UK statutory, regulatory or standards-based definition limiting “diamond” to stones of mined or geological origin.

“We understood that although synthetic diamonds have the same chemical and physical properties as natural, mine diamonds, there were differences in their future value,” the ASA said. “We understood that if the ads were clicked, consumers were directed to the Novita Diamonds website where there was information that the diamonds were synthetic. However, we considered that it was material information that should have been included upfront. Because the ads did not make clear that Novita Diamonds were synthetic, we concluded that they were misleading.”

Novita has since amended the ads to include the word “lab” before “diamonds.”

Image: Lab-grown diamonds. (Shutterstock)