Gretchen Koback Pursel is the new chief people officer at the company formerly known as Saks Global.
When naming doesn’t shame
Much talk has arisen in the diamond industry about confronting the problem of lab-grown diamonds being mixed with natural, or mined, diamonds by naming and shaming--publicly calling out companies that are guilty of knowingly trying to pass off synthetic diamonds as natural.
The idea is, obviously, that if the names of companies guilty (and there is proof they are guilty, which is an issue in and of itself) of undisclosed mixing are publicized they will be ostracized from the business. Other companies won’t want to deal with them, thus harming their business.
It is a measure meant to be both punitive and preventative: seeing a company publicly shamed will, theoretically, make other companies think twice before trying to pass off lab-grown diamonds as natural.
But, what about companies that have no shame, that don’t care if their names are out there?
They are likely just to continue doing what they are doing--mixing lab-grown diamonds in with natural without disclosure or trying to pass off individual lab-grown stones as natural--in order to make a little bit more money.
Even if a few companies avoid doing business with them after they are publicly “shamed” it won’t be a big problem. They’ll just find another business partner that is equally as shameless.
Naming and shaming is not a bad idea, but if only works if that company actually is ashamed of what they’ve done.
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