India Mandates: Only Natural Gems Are Called Diamonds
By: Nikhil Pandey
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28 Jan 2026
India now mandates that the word "diamond" applies exclusively to stones of natural origin only
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The Bureau of Indian Standards has officially banned using "diamond" alone for any lab-grown stones
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New regulations require man-made products to be explicitly labeled as a laboratory-grown diamond at all
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Shortened abbreviations like "LGD" or "lab-grown" are no longer permitted in any formal sales disclosures
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Sellers must use full terms like "laboratory-created" to ensure consumers understand exactly what they buy
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The new framework prohibits misleading words such as "pure" or "cultured" for all man-made diamonds
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This specific terminology shift aims to protect the unique value and rarity of natural diamonds
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Industry leaders believe these strict rules will build greater trust throughout the Indian jewellery market
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The Natural Diamond Council supports this move to remove confusion between natural and synthetic gems
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Transparency is now the legal priority for every diamond transaction occurring across the entire country
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