SourcingApr 10, 2024
Compliance, Caution, and Concern: The Current Outlook of Indian Diamantaires Policies & IssuesApr 17, 2024
NDC Prevails in U.K. Case Over Lab-Grown Diamond Advertising
NDC filed a complaint against Skydiamond for use of phrases like “diamonds made entirely from the sky.”
The U.K.’s Advertising Standards Authority upheld the Natural Diamond Council’s complaint against U.K.-based retailer Skydiamond. The NDC alleged that Skydiamond’s marketing claims, such as referring to its lab-grown diamonds as “diamonds made entirely from the sky,” were misleading to consumers, and the ASA agreed.
Editor’s Note: This story was updated post-publication to include comment from Skydiamond.
London—The U.K.’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) announced it has upheld the Natural Diamond Council’s complaint against retailer Skydiamond for misleading marketing and advertisement of lab-grown diamonds.
The online fine jewelry retailer uses a patented process to create diamonds from atmospheric carbon dioxide and rainwater using renewable energy from solar and wind power, its website states.
The NDC’s complaint alleged that it was misleading for Skydiamond to use the terms “Skydiamonds,” “diamonds,” and “diamonds made entirely from the sky” in ads it featured in early 2023 in press, on its Instagram, and on its website.
It also called into question the use of the words “real diamond” in a section of the retailer’s FAQ page that answered the question “Are Skydiamonds real diamonds?” with “Each Skydiamond is a perfectly formed real diamond.”
In its ruling, the ASA, which is the U.K. equivalent of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), sided with NDC, stating that the ads did not make it clear that the diamonds were lab grown.
It also said the above terms were misleading, and the ads breached the U.K. Code of Non-Broadcast Advertising, Sales Promotion and Direct Marketing rules 3.1 and 3.3, with regards to misleading advertising, and 3.9, with regards to qualification.
The code states, “marketing communications must not mislead the consumer by omitting material information. They must not mislead by hiding material information or presenting it in an unclear, unintelligible, ambiguous, or untimely manner.”
All of Skydiamond’s ads included clear gemstones and references to diamonds, the ruling said, and it considered consumers would understand “diamond” in insolation to mean a naturally occurring mineral of crystallized carbon.
While some consumers would be aware that diamonds could be manufactured in a lab, ASA said, many would not.
ASA directed Skydiamond not to use the above terms to describe their lab-grown diamonds without a clear and prominent qualifier, such as “synthetic,” “laboratory-grown” or “laboratory-created,” or another way of conveying the same meaning to consumers in a direct and obvious manner.
It also told the retailer the ads must not appear again in the form complained about, and to not use the claim “real diamonds” to describe lab-grown diamonds.
Skydiamond said it plans to appeal the ruling, calling it “a mistake.”
“Our website and all of our marketing, indeed our very name, make clear that our diamonds come from the sky, we make them or mine them from the sky," said Dale Vince, founder of Skydiamond.
"We make that very clear. Nobody could possibly think they are conventional stones ripped from the bowels of the earth at enormous environmental cost, and nobody actually has. This complaint is not based on actual confusion on the part of customer; it comes from the trade body for diamond mining companies, [and] it is an attempt to use the ASA for anti-competitive purposes and it utterly baseless."
Related stories will be right here …
London—The U.K.’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) announced it has upheld the Natural Diamond Council’s complaint against retailer Skydiamond for misleading marketing and advertisement of lab-grown diamonds.
The online fine jewelry retailer uses a patented process to create diamonds from atmospheric carbon dioxide and rainwater using renewable energy from solar and wind power, its website states.
The NDC’s complaint alleged that it was misleading for Skydiamond to use the terms “Skydiamonds,” “diamonds,” and “diamonds made entirely from the sky” in ads it featured in early 2023 in press, on its Instagram, and on its website.
It also called into question the use of the words “real diamond” in a section of the retailer’s FAQ page that answered the question “Are Skydiamonds real diamonds?” with “Each Skydiamond is a perfectly formed real diamond.”
In its ruling, the ASA, which is the U.K. equivalent of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), sided with NDC, stating that the ads did not make it clear that the diamonds were lab grown.
It also said the above terms were misleading, and the ads breached the U.K. Code of Non-Broadcast Advertising, Sales Promotion and Direct Marketing rules 3.1 and 3.3, with regards to misleading advertising, and 3.9, with regards to qualification.
The code states, “marketing communications must not mislead the consumer by omitting material information. They must not mislead by hiding material information or presenting it in an unclear, unintelligible, ambiguous, or untimely manner.”
All of Skydiamond’s ads included clear gemstones and references to diamonds, the ruling said, and it considered consumers would understand “diamond” in insolation to mean a naturally occurring mineral of crystallized carbon.
While some consumers would be aware that diamonds could be manufactured in a lab, ASA said, many would not.
ASA directed Skydiamond not to use the above terms to describe their lab-grown diamonds without a clear and prominent qualifier, such as “synthetic,” “laboratory-grown” or “laboratory-created,” or another way of conveying the same meaning to consumers in a direct and obvious manner.
It also told the retailer the ads must not appear again in the form complained about, and to not use the claim “real diamonds” to describe lab-grown diamonds.
Skydiamond said it plans to appeal the ruling, calling it “a mistake.”
“Our website and all of our marketing, indeed our very name, make clear that our diamonds come from the sky, we make them or mine them from the sky," said Dale Vince, founder of Skydiamond.
"We make that very clear. Nobody could possibly think they are conventional stones ripped from the bowels of the earth at enormous environmental cost, and nobody actually has. This complaint is not based on actual confusion on the part of customer; it comes from the trade body for diamond mining companies, [and] it is an attempt to use the ASA for anti-competitive purposes and it utterly baseless."
The NDC, which filed in March 2023, based its complaint on the Diamond Terminology Guideline, a reference document that, as of 2020, is assured and recognized by Trading Standards in the U.K. market.
The U.K.’s National Association of Jewellers, along with leading industry organizations, have endorsed the guideline, which is built on the ISO 18323 Standard (“Jewellery – Consumer confidence in the diamond industry”) and the CIBJO Diamond Blue Book.
The FTC has its own rules on diamond terminology, but it is not recognized for diamonds sold outside the United States.
The Diamond Terminology Guideline states that all documents, websites, and other means of communication intended to sell, buy, and promote natural diamonds, lab-grown diamonds, gemstones, lab reports, and natural and lab-grown diamond jewelry must use “synthetic,” “laboratory-grown” or “laboratory-created” when referring to lab-grown diamonds, a directive the ASA references in its ruling.
In one section of its lengthy response to NDC’s complaint, Skydiamond called the guideline a tool that “should not be, and did not profess to be, the only basis for defining the origin of a diamond or for determining definitively whether diamond ads were misleading to an average consumer.”
Skydiamond also argued that of the 23 steps in its “novel and innovative” production process, only the CVD step was shared with conventional lab-grown diamond production processes, and commercialization of its process post-dated the introduction of the Diamond Terminology Guideline, so it was not considered for inclusion.
The ASA acknowledged in its ruling that the guideline had been updated in 2023, but there were no major changes to the 2020 version.
And, although it agrees Skydiamond’s production process differs from other diamond growers, ASA said the diamonds were lab grown nonetheless and consumers needed to know that before making a transactional decision.
The NDC’s complaint to the ASA regarding misleading terminology in advertisements for lab-grown diamonds initially included three other U.K. retailers—Stephen Webster, Lark & Berry, and Idyl.
According to NDC, ASA dropped its case against Stephen Webster but did note that its ruling in the Skydiamond case also applies to Stephen Webster’s marketing and communications.
A spokesperson for Stephen Webster said the company had no comment on the ruling.
The ASA investigated ads from the other two retailers and considered them to be in breach of code—Lark & Berry for the use of “cultured diamond” and “diamond” without a qualifier when referring to synthetic diamonds, and Idyl for the use of the terms “diamonds,” “diamond sparkle,” “fine diamond jewelry,” “sustainable diamonds,” and “Diamonds of the Future” in the same context.
Lark & Berry agreed to amend the ads with qualifiers such as “synthetic,” “laboratory-grown,” and “laboratory-created.”
Idyl also agreed to amend their advertisements that targeted U.K. consumers.
Both rulings have been published as informally resolved on ASA’s website.
More on Policies & Issues
The Latest
AuctionsNov 20, 2025
Vanderbilt Jewels Shine at Phillips Sale, Pink Diamond WithdrawnA 43-carat sapphire brooch from the Vanderbilt collection was the top lot of the Geneva sale.
CollectionsNov 20, 2025
Rebecca Rau Jewels Debuts With ‘Then & Now’ CollectionRau is a fourth-generation art and antique dealer from M.S. Rau gallery whose first jewelry collection merges artifacts with modern design.
WatchesNov 20, 2025
LVMH Takes Minority Stake in Citizen Group-Owned Movement Maker La Joux-Perret is based in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, and makes solar quartz as well as mechanical watch movements.
Brought to you by
Impacting Tomorrow TodayHow Jewelers of America’s 20 Under 40 are leading to ensure a brighter future for the jewelry industry.
GradingNov 20, 2025
Julia Griffith Joins SSEF as Head of EducationShe previously taught at Gem-A and is the founder of The Gem Academy.
Weekly QuizNov 20, 2025
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
CollectionsNov 19, 2025
Larkspur & Hawk Celebrates 25 Years With Helena Bonham Carter CampaignThe British actress and her daughter modeled pieces from the brand’s new “Palette” capsule for its “Once Upon a Time” holiday campaign.
TechnologyNov 19, 2025
Google Has a New Form for Reporting ‘Review Bombing’ Attacks Plus, the tech giant shares the steps retailers should take if they believe they’re a victim of a review extortion scam.
Brought to you by
Roseco Releases New Full-Line CatalogRoseco’s 704-page catalog showcases new lab-grown diamonds, findings, tools & more—available in print or interactive digital editions.
IndependentsNov 19, 2025
Houston Jeweler Keith Shaftel Retires, Next Generation Steps In Danny and Gaby Shaftel are now Shaftel Diamonds’ CEO and chief operating officer, respectively.
TrendsNov 19, 2025
Midas Chain Releases 2025 Holiday Style GuideThe jewelry manufacturer’s seasonal offering features its new “Melodie” bangles, as well as mini stud earrings and layering pieces.
Events & AwardsNov 18, 2025
NYC Jewelry Week 2025: 12 Must-See EventsWith more than 140 activations taking place in New York City now through Nov. 23, these 12 events are can’t-miss moments.
MajorsNov 18, 2025
Lugano Diamonds Files for Bankruptcy, Looking for BuyerThe Chapter 11 filing follows the resignation of CEO Moti Ferder, who stepped down after an investigation into the company’s finances.
Events & AwardsNov 18, 2025
A Giant, Bejeweled Moldy Berry Is on Display in LAThe artwork is part of an exhibition featuring works by Kathleen Ryan, an artist known for her gemstone-studded rotting fruit sculptures.
SourcingNov 18, 2025
Another Diamond Company CEO Steps DownMark Wall, president and CEO of Canadian mining company Mountain Province Diamonds, will vacate his position next month.
CrimeNov 17, 2025
Police Searching for 2 Suspects in Murder of Father, Son Jewelers Faustino Alamo Dominguez and his son, 25-year-old Luis Angel Alamo, were gunned down following an armed robbery at their jewelry store.
GradingNov 17, 2025
IGI Announces New President of North AmericaTiffany & Co. veteran Jeffrey Bennett has stepped into the role.
MajorsNov 17, 2025
Look Inside Robbins Brothers Fine Jewelers’ New Pasadena FlagshipThe showroom is located in a historic 1920s building in the Playhouse District.
AuctionsNov 14, 2025
Napoleon’s Diamond Brooch Blows Away Auction Estimates A buyer paid $4.4 million for the piece, which Napoleon wore on his hat for special occasions and left behind when he fled Waterloo.
FinancialsNov 14, 2025
Richemont’s Q2 Jewelry Sales Up 12%Plus, how tariffs and the rising price of gold are affecting its watch and jewelry brands.
CollectionsNov 14, 2025
Piece of the Week: Silvia Furmanovich’s ‘Butterflies in Flight’ Jewelry BoxFurmanovich designed the box to hold Mellerio’s “Color Queen,” a high jewelry collection consisting of 10 rings.
Events & AwardsNov 14, 2025
JCK Names New Event DirectorJennifer Hopf, who has been with JCK since 2022, will lead the execution of the long-running jewelry trade show.
IndependentsNov 13, 2025
127-Year-Old New Orleans Jeweler to CloseAdler’s Jewelry is set to close its two stores as 82-year-old owner Coleman E. Adler II retires.
IndependentsNov 13, 2025
Green Lake Jewelry Works to Move to New Seattle StudioFounder Jim Tuttle shared how a dedication to craftsmanship and meaningful custom jewelry fueled the retailer’s double-digit growth.
MajorsNov 13, 2025
Vahan Jewelry Founder Leon ‘Sacha’ Der Calousdian Dies at 85The third-generation jeweler is remembered as a passionate creative with a love of art, traveling and sailboat racing.
CrimeNov 12, 2025
Father, Son Jewelers in Chicago Victims in Double Homicide JSA and Cook County Crime Stoppers are both offering rewards for information leading to the arrest of the suspect or suspects involved.
AuctionsNov 12, 2025
‘Mellon Blue’ Diamond Sells for $7M Less Than It Did a Decade AgoA buyer paid $25.6 million for the diamond at Christie’s on Tuesday. In 2014, Sotheby’s sold the same stone for $32.6 million.
AuctionsNov 12, 2025
Historic Rolex Oyster Fetches $1.7M at Sotheby’sMercedes Gleitze famously wore the watch in her 1927 swim across the English Channel, a pivotal credibility moment for the watchmaker.
