Headlines

Industry Battles Over One Particular Word in Synthetic Diamond Advertising

Published

8 years ago

April 26, 2016

INSTORE Staff

The Federal Trade Commission will soon settle the debate.

Currently, synthetic diamonds must be labeled either “lab-grown” or “lab-created” in advertising, though marketers say they should be able to use the word “cultured” instead – something that sellers of natural diamonds oppose, as the Minneapolis StarTribune explains.

Cecilia Gardner, CEO of the Jeweler Vigilance Committee, summed up that opposition to the news outlet. "The phrase ‘cultured’ usually refers to pearls, not diamonds. The JVC has taken the position that the word ‘cultured’ should only be used to describe pearls and nothing else."

The article says the issue is getting more attention with the looming June 3 deadline for submitting comments to the Federal Trade Commission on proposed changes to the jewelry guides, which explain to businesses how to avoid making deceptive claims, including what types of disclosures are needed. "You want to make sure it’s a level playing field, so that when jewelry sellers are describing their items they use similar terminology," John Henne, owner of Henne Jewelers in Pittsburgh, said of the jewelry guides. "This avoids confusion for the consumer. There are ways people can talk around things and lead someone to believe something is better than it is."

You Wouldn’t Cut Your Own Hair. Why Run Your Own Retirement Sale?

After being in business for over a quarter of a century, Wayne Reid, owner of Wayne Jewelers in Wayne, Pennsylvania, decided it was time for a little “me time.” He says, “I’ve reached a point in my life where it’s time to slow down, enjoy a lot of things outside of the jewelry industry. It just seemed to be the right time.” He chose Wilkerson to handle his retirement sale because of their reputation and results. With financial goals exceeded, Reid says he made the right choice selecting Wilkerson to handle the sale. “They made every effort to push our jewelry to the forefront of the showcases,” he says, lauding Wilkerson for their finesse and expertise. Would he recommend them to other jewelers who want to make room for new merchandise, expand their business or like him, decide to call it a day? Absolutely he says, equating trying to do this kind of sale with cutting your own hair. “The results are going to happen but not as well as if you have a professional like Wilkerson do the job for you.”