Product Disclosure Standards

It is our policy to implement the following standards in product disclosure:

a. Gold and Platinum Group Metals: The fineness Gold or Platinum Group Metal shall be accurately disclosed. The description of fineness or content shall be equally conspicuous as the word “Gold”, or the Platinum Group Metal, or abbreviation, and any Quality Marks used shall be applied in accordance with Applicable Law or industry standards.

• If Quality Marks are applied, it must indicate the quality of the Gold or Platinum Group Metal and be in accordance with Applicable Law or relevant international standards.
• The description of fineness would not be required if Applicable Law allows for it not to be stated; for example some jurisdictions do not require the fineness to be described for Gold that is 24k and Platinum that is more than 950 per thousand.

b. Treated Diamonds: Treated Diamonds shall be disclosed as either “Treated” or with specific reference to the particular Treatment. The description shall be equally conspicuous as the word(s) “Diamond”. Any special care requirements that the Treatment creates shall be disclosed.

• Any term that is designed to disguise that Treatment has occurred, or to imply that a Treatment is part of the normal polishing process, or that misleads the consumer in any way, must not be used. For example, the term “improved” must not be used to describe a Treated Diamond.
• The placement of the description of the treatment is not prescribed in the Code of Practices, providing the required words appear in association with, and are equally conspicuous as word(s) “Diamond” or “Synthetic”. However check Applicable Law for any additional requirements.
• Names of firms, manufacturers or trademarks are not to be used in connection with Treated Diamonds, unless such names are clearly succeeded by the word “Treated” as defined in this section or are otherwise equally conspicuously and prominently disclosed as Treated.

c. Synthetic Diamonds: Wholly or partially Synthetic diamonds shall be disclosed as “laboratory created”, “laboratory grown”, and/or “Synthetic” and the description shall be equally conspicuous as the word “diamond”.

• The term “cultured” is not an acceptable description for Synthetic diamonds.
• Any term that is designed to disguise the fact that a diamond is Synthetic or that misleads the consumer in any way must not be used.
• The term “diamond” without qualification always means a natural diamond.

d. Simulants: Simulants that imitate the appearance of Diamonds shall be disclosed as the mineral or compound that it is. Points to consider:

• Any term that is designed to disguise the fact that a stone is a Simulant or that misleads the consumer in any way must not be used.
• The words “real”, “genuine” or similar to describe any Simulant would be misleading and must not be used. The word “natural” to describe any Simulant must not be used, unless the Simulant is a naturally occurring mineral or compound.
• Note this provision applies to Simulants that are for sale. Simulants used for promotional purposes / display, for example in retail environments, do not require an associated disclosure unless they are offered for sale.

e. Diamond Quality – Polished Diamonds: When describing the weight, colour, clarity or cut of Diamonds and Synthetics, this shall be in accordance with the recognised guidelines appropriate to the particular jurisdiction.

• If the descriptions do not include weight, colour, clarity or cut - for example for small diamonds set in jewellery - it is not necessary for all diamonds to be individually described in accordance with these rules. However when the weight, colour, clarity or cut are described, then the description must be in accordance with International Diamond Council Rules for Grading Polished Diamonds.

• The word “flawless” or “perfect” must not be used to describe:
  any Diamond that discloses flaws, cracks, inclusions, carbon spots, clouds, internal lasering, or other blemishes or imperfections of any sort when examined under a corrected magnifier at 10-power, with adequate illumination by a person skilled in Diamond grading; or any article of Jewellery that contains any Diamonds that do not meet the definition of “flawless” or “perfect”.
  The terms “brilliant”, “brilliant cut” or “full cut” must not be used to describe, identify or refer to any Diamond except a round Diamond that has at least 32 facets plus the table above the girdle, and at least 24 facets below it.

f. Product Health and Safety Information: Any relevant health and safety information about Diamond, Synthetic, Gold and/or Platinum Group Metals Jewellery Products sold by Members to end consumers shall be disclosed.

• In its natural solid or metallic state, gold is inert and considered non-hazardous. However it is commonly used in varying levels of purity and can be sold in jewellery in fineness ranging from 9 carat (usually 37.5% Au w/w) to 24 carat (usually 99.9% Au w/w). On skin, gold may cause contact dermatitis, while ingestion is generally non-toxic.
• Gold jewellery that is formed of alloys containing nickel has been documented to cause nickel allergies. Nickel allergies usually appear first in the form of a red itchy rash, normally wherever nickel is in close contact with the skin. While nickel is a common component in many metal alloys found in everyday life, an allergy is most often triggered by metal jewellery containing nickel. It is thus sometimes referred to as ‘jewellery dermatitis’. Treating nickel allergy requires affected people avoiding contact with anything containing nickel.
• Diamonds in their natural crystalline state are the hardest known natural material and chemically inert. The only potential health hazards that may arise are through treatments designed to improve the stone’s gemological characteristics and value.
• Irradiation of diamonds is a treatment used to enhance colour. Irradiation can make stones slightly radioactive, and they are usually set aside for a period of time to allow the radioactivity to decay. Distribution of irradiated stones usually undergoes a regulated process to check that radioactivity is below regulatory limits.