France bans the term “cultured diamond”

The semantic dispute over what to call diamonds seems to be coming to an end. The industry hopes that a solution has been found, following the French government's recent ruling on the matter. At least in France, the terms “laboratory diamond” and “cultured diamond” (culture diamond) are no longer acceptable, and the only designation the industry will be able to use for a man-made or lab-grown diamond will be “synthetic” diamond.

In 2002, France passed a law stipulating that the word “diamond” can only be used to identify a natural diamond, and that French retailers are required to use the designation “synthetic” to describe stones that are “wholly or partially artificial.” .” Furthermore, the term “laboratory diamond” could only be used outside of France.

Following a request from a company active in the synthetic diamond sector, France's Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Prevention (DGCCRF) began a consultation a few months ago to decide whether the law should be reviewed. At the end of 2023, the Ministry of Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty issued a ruling confirming that the decree of January 14, 2002 remains valid.

“There are international laws and national regulations regarding the marketing of these gemstones that must be respected,” said Collectif Diamant, the French body that represents the main players and associations in the sector, in a press release. The industry is extremely careful in this regard and is firmly determined to protect the reputation of authentic, “natural” diamonds, as opposed to synthetic ones, a term that is considered pejorative compared to “laboratory diamond”.

This semantic war is crucial for diamond producers, who face tougher competition in the jewelry sector due to the increasingly widespread use of lab-grown synthetic diamonds, which are also touted as more sustainable. Even some big luxury names have started introducing them, such as LVMH-owned jewelry brand Fred, which introduced its first synthetic diamonds last September.