The CIBJO Diamond Commission has urged the industry to stop using terms like “lab-grown” and “lab-created” for man-made diamonds, recommending a return to the exclusive use of “synthetic.” The call comes in its pre-congress Special Report, released ahead of the CIBJO Congress in Paris on 27 October.
Commission President Udi Sheintal said the 2010 shift to “lab-grown” terminology, intended to integrate synthetic diamond producers, has instead harmed the reputation and market share of natural diamonds. He stressed that the term is misleading, as the stones are manufactured in industrial facilities rather than grown in laboratories.
The report also highlighted the impact of US tariff measures on the global diamond trade, particularly in India, where most of the world’s diamonds are processed. Sheintal called for a unified industry response, warning that unilateral national policies reverberate worldwide.