CIBJO, the world jewellery confederation, has voted to accept descriptive terms other than "synthetic" for man-made diamonds.
In a statement released this week, CIBJO announced they "will now accept the terms 'laboratory-grown diamond' and 'laboratory-created diamond', as well as the previously acceptable term ‘synthetic’ to describe non-natural diamonds".
The decision, made at the 2010 Congress in Munich, brings the organisation in line with the position adopted earlier by other major industry groups.
Diamond Commission President Udi Sheintal said that the decision was the result of long and continuous discussion with all stakeholders.
“It has been my pleasure to facilitate meaningful and effective exchanges, with IDC, to search for a solution to what was earlier believed to be an impossible impasse. The CIBJO diamond commission will now be able to concentrate on the many other issues, such as how to address the research results of the AGA task force on fluorescence and misrepresentation of diamonds.”
CIBJO had previously declined to align itself with other organisations on the issue of alternate labels for non-natural diamonds.
The Diamond Commission meeting took place during the second day of the 2010 CIBJO Congress which is being hosted by the Messe München and the Inhorgenta Europe 2010 trade show.