Barneys and Diamond Foundry Are Making a Big Mistake With Their Lab-Grown Diamond Line

(jckonline.com) - While it’s hardly the most pressing issue in the world right now, I am disappointed with Diamond Foundry and Barneys New York’s decision to use the word cultivated for their new line of lab-grown diamonds. The Barneys release calls the stones cultivated — which is not, at press time, one of the terms the Federal Trade Commission has okayed for lab-grown diamonds. Diamond Foundry said in response, “Our diamonds being man-made is the whole point of our marketing, which we are very clear about. This is consistent with FTC principles of making sure that consumers get what they think they get.” However, when asked her view if the term was sufficient under the FTC Guides, Jewelers Vigilance Committee president and CEO Cecilia Gardner replied, “Nope.”