Everything Changes, Some Things Stay the Same

RAPAPORT The diamond and jewelry trade tends to be reactive rather than proactive Much of the discussion, according to reports from the meetings, was centered on how the trade should relate to synthetic diamonds It's a difficult question following the recent decision by the Federal Trade Commission to expand the definition of "Diamond" to include those grown in a laboratory.

The trade restated its position that the use of the word "Diamond," without any qualifiers before it, refers to a natural stone by default Forget De Beers' claim that it is helping differentiate natural from synthetic diamonds through pricing So did the Diamond Producers Association, of which De Beers holds the current chairmanship.

Image: Polished diamond next to a piece of diamond ore production. . Source