France Says "Non" to Lab Grown Descriptions
February 14, 24
(IDEX Online) - France has outlawed the term "lab grown" and says such diamonds can only be described as "synthetic".
The country's Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Prevention (DGCCRF) reaffirmed a decision originally made in January 2002 concerning man-made diamonds gemstones and pearls following a challenge by a French lab grown company.
Lab grown diamonds can only be referred to as "diamant de synthese" or "synthetique" - "synthetic diamond" or "synthetic".
The terms "diamant de laboratoire" and "diamant de culture" - "laboratory diamond" and "cultivated diamond" - remain banned.
The ruling requires French retailers to designate as "synthetic" any stones that were entirely or partly man-made and allows the term "laboratory diamond" only to be used for sales and advertising outside France. It means that the word "diamant" alone always designates a natural diamond.
The Collectif Diamant, which promotes the natural diamond industry, welcomed the move and said the decision helped to "guarantee clear and understandable information for the consumer."
Yoram Dvash, president of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB) said: "We praise the decision of the French government to insist that all stones other than natural diamonds be called 'synthetic'.
"This is an important step in confirming the inherent value of natural diamonds and in enhancing consumer confidence."