The Indian gem and jewellery industry has long faced challenges arising from the use of multiple, inconsistent, and often ambiguous terms to describe diamonds and their alternatives—particularly in digital and e-commerce environments. This lack of formal guidance has contributed to consumer confusion and inconsistent disclosure practices across the market.

The Natural Diamond Council (NDC) welcomes the adoption of IS 19469:2025 by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), a modified adoption of ISO 18323:2015 – Jewellery: Consumer Confidence in the Diamond Industry. The new standard introduces a clear and enforceable framework for diamond terminology, establishing a definitive distinction between natural diamonds and laboratory-grown diamonds. By doing so, it strengthens consumer protection and supports the long-term credibility and integrity of the Indian diamond jewellery sector.

The new mandate claims that the term “diamond” applies exclusively to natural diamonds, as the word used alone always implies a natural origin. Under these rules, traders are permitted to use qualifiers such as “natural,” “real,” “genuine,” or “precious” to describe natural diamonds. The use of other terms like mined diamond, earth-mined diamond etc, are not permitted.

For laboratory-grown diamonds, the standard requires explicit and immediate disclosure at all times. Only the terms “laboratory-grown diamond” or “laboratory-created diamond” are permitted for commercial use. The standard expressly prohibits the use of misleading or promotional qualifiers—including nature’s, earth-friendly, conflict-free pure, cultured, or similar terms—that may imply equivalence with natural diamonds. The term “Synthetic Diamond” may be used in commercial documents or import/export documents, if so, required, under the laws or the regulation of any country, which such diamonds are to be exported, or from which such diamonds are to be imported.

Commenting on the development, Richa Singh, Managing Director, Natural Diamond Council, said: “Consumer protection is central to everything we do at the Natural Diamond Council. Clear, consistent terminology is essential to maintaining trust. By eliminating ambiguity and mandating full disclosure, these standards protect industry integrity and ensure consumers can confidently distinguish between a natural diamond and a laboratory-grown diamond.”

The Natural Diamond Council remains committed to working closely with BIS, Indian authorities, trade bodies, and industry stakeholders to support the correct implementation and enforcement of this terminology framework. By eliminating misleading descriptors and establishing consistent disclosure, the industry collectively safeguards the emotional and financial integrity of the diamond-buying experience.