India’s Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) has voiced its support for the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC)’s guidelines on lab-grown diamonds, urging the country’s Ministry of Consumer Affairs to adopt similar standards.
The move follows a recent consultation held by India’s Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) to address growing concerns over inconsistent terminology and insufficient disclosure practices within the diamond industry. According to the CCPA, there is a pressing need for clearer definitions to prevent misleading marketing that could erode consumer trust in the sector.
“Consumers deserve transparency about what they are paying for,” CCPA Chief Commissioner Nidhi Khare told Mint newspaper. “The current ambiguity not only confuses buyers but also undermines the diamond market, which has long been defined by exclusivity and authenticity.”
Under India’s current regulations, lab-grown diamonds must be labeled as “synthetic,” with specific production methods—such as high-pressure, high-temperature (HPHT) or chemical vapor deposition (CVD)—clearly stated. However, the GJEPC argues that this terminology is outdated. In line with recent shifts in global standards, including those in France, the Council advocates for the adoption of terms like “lab-grown” or “lab-created” instead of “synthetic.”
Smit Patel, convener of the GJEPC’s lab-grown diamond panel, emphasized the importance of aligning India’s regulations with international practices. “Globally, these diamonds are recognized as laboratory-created or laboratory-grown, not synthetic,” Patel said in Solitaire International. “India should follow suit and update its terminology.”
The GJEPC further pointed out that current Indian regulations do not require clear labeling to indicate that a diamond without a prefix is natural, a stipulation present in the FTC’s guidelines.
GJEPC Chairman Vipul Shah confirmed that discussions around updating India’s regulations are ongoing. “We are in continuous dialogue with the ministry about this issue,” Shah told JCK.
In the U.S., the FTC’s guidelines allow for lab-grown diamonds to be labeled as “laboratory-grown,” “laboratory-created,” or by the manufacturer’s name. In 2018, the commission removed “synthetic” from its list of recommended descriptors, though it did not ban the term entirely. Importantly, the FTC requires that terms such as “real,” “genuine,” and “natural” be used exclusively for natural diamonds.
The CCPA has yet to respond to requests for comment on the matter.
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