The London Diamond Bourse has recommended that its members across the UK exclusively use the term ‘synthetic’ to describe lab-created diamonds. The London Diamond Bourse was established in 1940 and has around 200 members.
The bourse is the first trade organisation in the UK to declare a preference. UK guidelines previously permitted ‘synthetic’, ‘laboratory-grown’, and ‘laboratory-created’ as interchangeably acceptable.
That said, London Diamond Bourse president Charlotte Rose said ‘synthetic’ is optimal because it is the most technically accurate and internationally understood term.
“Consumers should never be left in any doubt about whether the diamond they are purchasing is a natural diamond or a man-made product,” she said.
“Clear and unambiguous terminology allows consumers to make a genuinely informed choice, while protecting confidence in the wider diamond and jewellery sector. We strongly welcome the implementation of this best practice. It’s a positive, long overdue step towards greater clarity, consistency and consumer protection within our industry.”
Rapaport News previously reported that the World Federation of Diamond Bourses held a vote in Singapore in July and unanimously nominated ‘synthetic’ as the most appropriate term.
This follows an announcement from the World Jewellery Confederation (CIBJO) that ‘synthetic’ was the most appropriate term for the broader industry to use with regard to lab-created diamonds.
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