DIAMOND TERMINOLOGY GUIDELINE — UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

INTRODUCTION AND REFERENCE

Six of the leading industry organizations have developed this guideline to encourage full, fair and effective use of a clear and accessible terminology for diamonds, laboratory-grown diamonds and imitations of diamonds by all sector bodies, organizations and traders in the United States of America. This document is dated September 2018.

This Diamond Terminology Guideline refers to two internationally accepted standards: the ISO 18323 Standard (“Jewellery — Consumer confidence in the diamond industry”) and the CIBJO Diamond Blue Book, as well as to the FTC Guides for the Jewelry, Precious Metals, and Pewter Industries issued in July 2018. While worded differently, practical implications of all three documents when it comes to terminologies are largely compatible.

DEFINITIONS

The ISO 18323 Standard and the CIBJO Diamond Blue Book state that:

· A diamond is a mineral created by nature; a “diamond” always means a natural diamond.

· A laboratory-grown diamond is an artificial product with essentially the same physical characteristics as a diamond.

· An imitation diamond, also named a diamond simulant, is an artificial product that imitates the appearance of diamonds without having their chemical composition, physical properties or structure.

· A gemstone is a mineral of natural origin that is used in jewelry for reasons of combined beauty, rareness and intrinsic value.

The July 2018 FTC Jewelry Guide states that:

· A diamond is a mineral consisting essentially of pure crystallized carbon.

TERMINOLOGY

The ISO 18323 Standard and the CIBJO Diamond Blue Book state that, when referring to laboratory-grown diamonds, you should :

· Use one of the following authorized qualifiers: “synthetic”, “laboratory-grown” or “laboratory-created”

· Not use the following terms: “cultured diamonds” and “cultivated diamonds”.

· Not use the following terms: “real”, “genuine”, “precious”, “authentic” and “natural”.

The July 2018 FTC Jewelry Guide state that, when referring to laboratory-grown diamonds, you should :

· Use the terms “laboratory-grown”, “laboratory-created”, [manufacturer name]-created or some other phrase of like meaning conveying that the product is not of natural origin. Only use “synthetic diamond” when referring to a laboratory-grown diamond, and not to a diamond simulant.

· Use such terms with equal conspicuousness immediately before the word “diamond” to disclose clearly the origin of the product.

· Not use the terms “real”, “genuine”, “natural”, “precious” or similar terms.

· Qualify the use of the term “cultured diamond” by a clear and conspicuous disclosure conveying that the product is not of natural origin.

RECOMMENDATION

To comply with ISO 18323 Standard, the CIBJO Diamond Blue Book and the FTC Jewelry Guides:

· Only use the term “diamond” without a qualifier if you are referring to a diamond of natural origin.

· Do not use the terms “real”, “genuine”, “natural”, “precious” or similar terms when referring to a laboratory-grown diamond or a diamond simulant.

· Use the terms “laboratory-grown”, “laboratory-created” or “synthetic” when referring to laboratory-grown diamonds and place them right before the word diamond.

· Do not use the following confusing expressions: “natural treated diamonds” and “treated natural diamonds”, simply use “treated diamonds”.

SUPPORTED BY :