ISO defines diamond in new standard

by eyetee | August 12, 2015 5:56 pm

[1]International Standard Organization (ISO) defines a diamond as being “created by nature.”

In Standard 18323, entitled ‘Jewellery—Consumer confidence in the diamond industry,’ ISO further states “the denomination ‘diamond’ without further specification always implies ‘natural diamond.'”

The new ISO standard mirrors the definitions outlined in CIBJO’s Diamond Blue Book, which are in line with those of the International Diamond Council (IDC).

CIBJO welcomed publication of the new standard.

“This a development of the utmost importance, not only for us in the industry, but first and foremost for jewellery consumers, who are now better protected through international conventions than they previously were,” said CIBJO president Gaetano Cavalieri.

“We are particularly proud because the ISO standard essentially codifies our Diamond Blue Book rules. A number of individuals need to be commended for what has been years of effort and commitment. In addition to Harry Levy, who once again made an invaluable contribution to our industry, thanks are due to Jean-Marc Liberherr, Andrew Bone, Stephane Fischler, Tom Nutt, Gerard Grospiron, and Dieter Hahn. I would also like to pay special tribute to Rudi Biehler. They all deserve our gratitude.”

The standard also defines a synthetic diamond as “an artificial product that has essentially the same chemical composition, crystal structure, and physical (including optical) properties as a diamond.” It also states the only other terms that can be used to describe a synthetic diamond are “laboratory-grown diamond” or “laboratory-created diamond.” No abbreviations can be used.

ISO says adjectives such as “cultured” and “cultivated,” as well as “real,” “genuine,” “precious” and “gem” also cannot be used when referring to a synthetic diamond, as they would be considered deceptive. In addition, brand names and manufacturers’ names combined with the word “diamond” will not be considered disclosure when applied to synthetic diamonds under the new standard.

When it comes to diamond treatments, ISO describes a treated diamond as “having undergone any human intervention other than cutting, polishing, cleaning, and setting to permanently or non-permanently change its appearance” and says the terms “natural treated diamond” or “treated natural diamond” must not be used because they can be misleading to the consumer. Special care requirements regarding a particular treatment must also be disclosed.

Source URL: https://www.jewellerybusiness.com/news/iso-defines-diamond-in-new-standard/

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