DiamondBuzz
Russian diamond sanctions plan likely to be delayed
Industry members and government officials involved in the discussions over Russian diamond sanctions expect that a full traceability regime won’t be implemented by the current March 1 deadline.
The European Union (EU) had already postponed its plan to require origin information for every diamond of 0.5 ct. or more from Sept. 1, 2024, until March 1, 2025. And now it looks like the plan won’t be ready by March 1 either.
Sources say the process has become jammed up with technological issues, knotty policy debates, and a new administration in the United States.It’s generally agreed that the technology for full traceability isn’t there yet, at least on the scale envisioned by the G7. Trials have shown it’s possible to track rough diamonds; however, implementing a global system that offers true rough-to-polished traceability remains a challenge, sources say. A number of producing countries, including Botswana and Namibia, have been tapped to set up “rough nodes,” but that’s very much a work in progress.
The World Jewellery Confederation (CIBJO) plans to undo a decision it made back in 2010. It now wants all non-natural diamonds to be labelled only as “synthetic.”
This means the terms “laboratory-grown” and “laboratory-created” will be removed from CIBJO’s Diamond Blue Book (the global reference for diamond terminology and trade practices) and from related ISO Standards.
CIBJO also says the 4Cs grading system should apply only to natural diamonds, just as the GIA has recently decided.
Udi Sheintal, president of CIBJO’s Diamond Commission, explained that the earlier acceptance of “lab-grown” terminology was well-meaning but turned out to be a mistake.
He added that synthetic diamonds have often been marketed as more ethical, sustainable, and conflict-free—claims that, he argued, are usually not backed by evidence.
Udi Sheintal also stressed the need for clearer transparency. He said marketing should make it clear that synthetic diamonds are not grown in “laboratories,” but manufactured in industrial facilities using artificial processes.
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