GIA line up FTC
GIA
updates education materials and
grading
reports for LGD
Following
the recent update to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Jewelry Guides, GIA has
revised its education materials supporting its core consumer protection mission
and updated its grading reports for laboratory-grown diamonds (LGD) to align
with the revised guides. Beginning July 1, 2019, GIA Laboratory-Grown Diamond
Reports and identification reports will no longer use the term ‘synthetic.’
The
new GIA Laboratory-Grown Diamond Report will feature the same visual
representation of the scales for color, clarity and cut as GIA’s grading
reports for natural diamonds. The updated reports will continue to use
descriptive terms for color and clarity, for example, Near Colorless and Very
Slightly Included, as shown on the scales.
The
report will also include a QR code linking to GIA’s online Report Check service
with more information about the growth processes of laboratory-grown diamonds.
All detected clarity treatments will be disclosed. The comments section will
include the statement: This is a man-made diamond produced by CVD (Chemical
Vapor Deposition) or HPHT (High Pressure High Temperature) growth processes and
may include post-growth treatments to change the color.
“Over
the past few years, there has been an incredible advancement in the technology
by which laboratory-grown diamonds are made. With the increased availability of
man-made diamonds in commercial qualities, sizes and quantities, and with
greater consumer awareness of and desire for this product, GIA is making these
changes to align with the revised FTC Guides and changes in the market,” said
GIA President and CEO Susan Jacques. “Our mission is to ensure the public trust
in gems and jewelry; these updated reports will give consumers buying
laboratory-grown diamonds confidence in their purchases.”
The
updated reports will be available beginning July 1, 2019. Any GIA Synthetic
Diamond Report issued since January 1, 2018, may be returned and exchanged for
the new Laboratory-Grown Diamond Report at no cost.
Since
the FTC revision in July 2018, GIA has been reviewing and revising its
education materials and procedures to ensure consistency in nomenclature across
the Institute. GIA is conducting significant research, including consumer focus
groups, to learn what the public expects from GIA reports for laboratory-grown
diamonds.
These
focus groups indicate that there is still confusion about the product and the
differences between natural diamonds and laboratory-grown diamonds. There are
also mixed views on what format GIA reporting on laboratory-grown diamonds
should take and on whether grading reports are needed at all for man-made
diamonds.
As
GIA’s mission is to protect the public trust in gems and jewelry, the Institute
will continue to survey consumers with the goal of providing them with
information that clearly describes the product and informs them in making their
purchase decisions.
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