The Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC), Bharat Diamond Bourse (BDB) & All India Gem and Jewellery Trade Federation (GJF) have welcomed the publication of ISO International Standard 18323: Jewellery - Consumer confidence in the diamond industry for providing clarity in the definitions of natural and synthetic diamonds.

As reported earlier, the ISO ruling defines a diamond as something that was "created by nature"; it also says that "the denomination 'diamond' without further specification always implies 'natural diamond’."

"The importance of this standard lies in the fact that it sets out which nomenclature can be used and which cannot in the purchase and sale of diamonds, treated diamonds and synthetic diamonds," Vipul Shah Chairman, Natural Diamond Monitoring Committee (NDMC) of GJEPC noted.   

"ISO notes very clearly the issues that the all Indian Trade Associations have been emphasizing for some time: the need for integrity and transparency to ensure that consumers have total confidence in our products. Buyers do not usually have the technical knowledge to understand the many aspects of diamonds and so they are reliant on correct and honest labeling. Regarding synthetic diamonds, which is a critical issue for the diamond business, the ISO standard sets out descriptions for synthetic diamonds plainly and precisely,” commented Anoop Mehta, President, BDB.

G. V. Sreedhar, GJF Vice Chairman commented “The ISO statement bars the usage of deceptive terms such as  "cultured" and "cultivated," as well as "real," "genuine," "precious" and "gem" to describe any synthetic diamond. It also states, brand names and manufacturers' names combined with the word "diamond" are insufficient means of disclosure when applied to synthetic diamonds. This will help clear the existing ambiguity in identifying real diamonds’.”

The new ISO Standard for Creating Clarity over Natural and Synthetic Diamonds can be viewed at https://www.iso .org/obp/ui/#iso:std:iso:18323:ed-1:v1:en