Editor’s Note
This article examines the ongoing terminology debate within the diamond industry, highlighting a recent regulatory move in France and contrasting it with the retail sector’s focus on consumer transparency.
The Vocabulary Debate Resurfaces
The diamond industry has been involved in a long-standing dispute over the proper terminology for man-made diamonds. Meanwhile, jewelry retailers that deal with the public say they are more concerned about transparency and disclosure when it comes to presenting these gems to their customers.
The vocabulary debate resurfaced earlier this month when the French government required that all man-made diamonds must be described as “synthetic.” The country also restricted the use of the word “diamond” with no descriptor preceding it to mined stones.
The diamond industry is treating the development as a victory.
“We praise the decision of the French government to insist that all stones other than natural diamonds be called ‘synthetic,’” responded Yoram Dvash, president of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB).
The French Ministry of Economics and Finance’s decision came after a long and thorough process, said Iris Van der Veken, executive director and secretary general of the Watch & Jewellery Initiative 2030 (WJI 2030). This included consultation with the French Union of Jewelry, Goldsmithing, Stones and Pearls (UFBJOP), which represents the country’s jewelry and gem industry.
“WJI 2030 believes in transparency and the integrity of the supply chain, and rules and regulations must be complied with at all times,” Van der Veken said in a statement to Rapaport News. “Disclosure of product characteristics is a key component for consumer confidence.”
Market-Specific Terminology
The term “synthetic” is commonly used in the country to describe man-made diamonds, said Antoine Borde, CEO of De Beers’ lab-grown diamond jewelry brand, Lightbox, which doesn’t distribute its product in France.
“There was a question raised around changing this to ‘lab-grown diamond,’ which in the French language doesn’t really have a suitable translation. Synthetic is what describes it best for French consumers, and they are accustomed to this terminology being used for a lab-grown diamond,” Borde said in an email. “I will continue to use the term ‘lab-grown diamond,’ as this is now commonly used by consumers. This, of course, needs to be adapted to each language and market.”
In the US, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) approved “laboratory-grown” in its “Jewelry Guides” as a term that can be used to market man-made diamonds. It removed “synthetic” from the monikers that it allowed. Lab-grown or laboratory-grown is the widely accepted term for man-made diamonds in the US and much of the world.
Retailer Focus on Transparency
However, for some retailers, clarity and fully conveying the product are more important than terminology.
“The wholesalers, the diamantaires, the various organizations, from the WDC [World Diamond Council] to the World Federation of Diamond Bourses, are all going about it the wrong way. It really doesn’t matter what you call it. To me, it’s about transparency,” commented David Mazer, director of sales and training, and a diamond buyer, at Marks Jewelers, which has stores in Montgomeryville, Pennsylvania, and Mount Laurel, New Jersey. “You can call it applesauce, but I still have the obligation to share with the public exactly what it is they’re buying. To make certain they fully understand where their hard-earned dollars are going.”
Ultimately, the customers decide what’s best for them, added Rich Goldberg of Safian & Rudolph Jewelers in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
“I think many in our industry have gotten too caught up over what we should call these man-made diamonds. In my opinion it doesn’t really matter,” Goldberg says. “I personally train my staff to educate the customer first and understand the difference between natural and lab-grown. We focus on transparency and building trust. The customer can buy whatever they want.”
