Synthetic Diamond Disclosures

It’s been a somewhat disruptive week for me, balancing travel with content creation, business development and analysis. I expect to be back to my regular broadcasting schedule this week.

It’s also been an interesting period for the diamond and jewelry market. The post-Vegas environment can be unsettling, as companies focus on bringing goods home, following up on new connections and, hopefully, filling orders.

That said, the industry conversation has shifted gears, as we’ve seen an accelerated push to more clearly distinguish lab-grown from natural diamonds.

Last week, the African Diamond Producers Association called for the exclusive use of the 4Cs grading system and carat measurements for natural diamonds, while proposing that synthetics be measured in grams and labeled only as “synthetic.”

This week, Russia answered that call by introducing new regulations requiring stricter labeling of synthetic diamonds in jewelry.

Effective September 1, retailers must:

• Identify synthetic stones as “synthetic” on jewelry tags.

• Refrain from using the word “diamond” in connection with synthetics.

• Avoid diamond grading terminology and descriptors such as “natural,” “genuine,” “mined,” and “eco-friendly” when referring to synthetic stones.

• State weight in grams rather than carats.

While Russia is not a major force in global jewelry consumption, the move is significant as one of the first regulatory efforts of its kind and could establish a precedent for other markets.

The question now is whether similar rules could gain traction in the US, and whether there is sufficient industry and political will to pursue them given the competing interests at play. The idea might be amplified as the Federal Trade Commission’s Jewelry Guide may be up for review in 2028.

This blog first appeared in the June 8 Pressing Matters Executive Memo. Read the full memo here, Pressing Matters.

Image: Lab-grown diamond seeds. (De Beers)