Russia Insists on "Synthetic" Label for Lab Growns

(IDEX Online) - The Russian government has announced new rules requiring lab growns to be labelled as "synthetic" so that consumers don't mistake them for natural stones.

It does not list "lab grown" or any variant with "lab" or "laboratory" as being acceptable terms. Only the qualifiers "synthetic" or "synth" can be used.

In doing so, Russia goes further than most other countries that have introduced rules on the description of lab growns, and which permit "lab grown" or "lab created" as well as "synthetic".

The Russian government is also outlawing reference to a lab grown's quality or color characteristics, or carat weight. Lab growns must be sold by weight in grams only under the new rules, which are effective from 1 September.

It is also banning terms that could mislead consumers into thinking the stone is natural, such as "precious," "real," "genuine," "natural," "mined", "mineral," "eco-friendly".

"The main goal of the new rules is to improve transparency in the jewelry display and protect consumers," said Alexey Moiseev, deputy minister of finance of the Russian Federation.

"These approved changes aim to make relationships between jewelry sellers and consumers more honest and transparent".

Among other countries that have legislation on lab grown terminology only France has gone as far as banning all terms that indicate the stone was grown in a lab.

"Diamant de laboratoire" and "diamant de culture" ("laboratory diamond" and "cultivated diamond") are banned. Lab growns can only be referred to as "diamant de synthese" or "synthetique" - "synthetic diamond" or "synthetic". 

The US, UK, EU and India all allow diamonds to be described as lab grown, lab created or synthetic.

Pic courtesy Alrosa.