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London, UK—The Responsible Jewellery Council announced last week that it will develop the ‘Laboratory Grown Materials Standard’, to ensure global consumer confidence. The standard, which will include a requirement for full disclosure—already required in the United States—will be separate from RJC’s Code of Practices. Image: Lab-grown diamonds from U.S. company Stuller.

Keeping the RJC LGM standard separate from its Code of Practices is in recognition that laboratory-grown products carry a different risk profile from natural products, says a statement from the organization. 

To ensure that the new standard receives the most robust review before it is finalized, RJC will follow its respected and well-established transparent public consultation procedure with all stakeholders, following the ISEAL Standard-Setting Code of Good Practice. The consultation process will be managed by RJC’s multi-stakeholder Standards Committee.

RJC executive director Iris Van der Veken said, “Setting a standard for LGMs is an important strategic initiative by RJC, underlining our commitment to ensure that all jewelry is responsibly sourced, manufactured, and marketed. It is all about consumer confidence. This standard will provide a clear robust framework not only for manufacturers and retailers, but also for reassuring customers that the manufacturers and sellers of LGMs follow rigorous processes that ensure the credibility and transparency of their operations.”

Signet’s David Bouffard, chair of RJC, said, “RJC was founded to promote global best practices for the jewelry and watch industry. With the increasing consumer awareness of LGMs, it is imperative that we set these standards to ensure that all laboratory-grown diamonds and gemstones are responsibly manufactured, sourced and sold, and that consumer confidence can be maintained through the application of a clear and consistent approach for businesses dealing with LGMs. As a global standards organization for the industry, we are driving the new initiative through a transparent process with all stakeholders to develop the framework.”

In the United States, the Federal Trade Commission already requires clear disclosure of lab-grown diamonds and gemstones. In 2018, the FTC released the updated version of its Guides for the Jewelry, Precious Metals, and Pewter Industries. Although that revision—the first major overhaul of the Guides in more than two decades—removed the word “natural” from the definition of diamond and sent the industry into a tizzy, it still requires that any lab-grown diamond must carry a “clear and conspicuous” disclosure near the word diamond.

Related: A Plain-Language Guide To Changes and Important Updates In FTC Revised Jewelry Guides