Diamond Producers Council Advises Jewelers to Reject CIBJO’s Biased and Deceptive “Synthetic” Terminology Recommendation
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Oct. 20, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Diamond Producers Council (DPC) rejects a
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SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Oct. 20, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Diamond Producers Council (DPC) rejects a recommendation by the World Jewellery Confederation (CIBJO) to use “synthetic” as the sole descriptor for lab-grown diamonds and colored gemstones in its Blue Books.
CIBJO decided that “synthetic” should become the sole preferred international term. CIBJO is going further still. Its 2026 Diamond Commission report calls for exploring “every way possible” to restrict use of the 4Cs to natural diamonds, potentially preventing lab grown diamonds from being described to consumers using the same familiar measures of carat, color, clarity and cut.
DPC urges jewelers to reject this recommendation as biased and deceptive and keep using “lab grown diamond” or “lab created diamond” or “<brand> created diamond” for clear disclosure of the origin of non-mined diamonds.
CIBJO’s decision is particularly troubling because “synthetic” can suggest an imitation rather than diamond material. A 2016 Opinions Ltd. survey submitted to the FTC by IGDA found that 56% of respondents understood “synthetic diamond” to mean an imitation or fake.
A lab-grown diamond is diamond. Cubic zirconia, moissanite and glass are different materials. Consumers must not be confused about this distinction.
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission’s Jewelry Guides recognize “laboratory-grown” and “laboratory-created” as disclosure terms. In explaining the guides, the FTC discussed evidence that consumers associate “synthetic” with imitations. The FTC warned against using that term to imply falsely that a competitor’s lab-grown product is not diamond.
CIBJO’s Blue Books are voluntary recommendations, not regulations.
DPC will work internationally with regulators, standards organizations and consumer-protection authorities to defend clear, truthful language. Where appropriate, it will pursue legal and regulatory remedies when terminology rules or industry practices could mislead consumers or distort competition.
DPC calls on the industry to put consumer understanding and interests first.
Jewelers advised to not follow CIBJO
CIBJO is not a government regulator. Its Blue Books are voluntary recommendations.
CIBJO itself expressly states: “The application of the Blue Books’ standards is voluntary.”
A jeweler’s legal obligations come from the laws and regulations applicable where it does business—not from CIBJO. CIBJO has zero legislative or regulatory authority over jewelers.
U.S. jewelers are subject to U.S. consumer-protection law. The Federal Trade Commission has accepted terminology including “laboratory-grown” and “laboratory-created,” removed “synthetic” from its examples of recommended qualifiers, and has warned that using “synthetic” to imply that a competitor’s laboratory-grown diamond is not actually a diamond can be deceptive.
Jewelers should not confuse a CIBJO recommendation with a legal requirement—and should always follow the consumer-protection laws applicable in the market where they operate.
The Diamond Producers’ Council will initiate proceedings against jewelers who deceptively use “synthetic” pertaining to lab-grown diamonds.
Legal Notice to the Jewelry Industry
DPC reserves all rights to pursue legal remedies against jewelers, trade organizations and other market participants that use the term “synthetic” in a manner that misleads one or more consumers into believing that lab grown diamonds are fake, imitation diamonds, or are not diamonds. This applies to representations made in the United States and in other jurisdictions.
Where misleading representations cause consumers to purchase substantially more expensive mined diamonds instead of lab grown diamonds, DPC believes that the resulting consumer price premium may constitute a substantial economic injury and should be considered in assessing available damages, restitution, and other remedies.
DPC is evaluating potential claims, including claims capable of being pursued on behalf of affected classes of consumers, against market participants whose advertising or sales practices materially misrepresent lab grown diamonds.
Compliance with a voluntary CIBJO recommendation does not, by itself, immunize conduct from applicable consumer-protection, competition or advertising law.
Industry terminology cannot be used as a license to mislead consumers.
About the Diamond Producers Council
The Diamond Producers Council (DPC) advocates for lab-grown diamonds and the producers who grow them through public education, industry collaboration and evidence-based information. Representing companies producing more than 20 million carats annually in labs around the world, DPC brings a producer perspective to help consumers, retailers, journalists and industry participants understand the science and evaluate the claims they encounter.
Website: diamondproducers.org
Media Contact:
DPC Media Relations
media@diamondproducers.org
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