Russia has introduced new regulations governing the sale and marketing of jewellery containing synthetic diamonds, in one of the industry’s most stringent measures aimed at clearly distinguishing lab-grown stones from natural diamonds.
The new rules adopted the Russian Federation will come into effect from September 1, 2026. The provisions amend the country’s retail sales regulations for precious metals and gemstones.
Stricter disclosure norms
Under the revised framework, jewellery containing synthetic stones may continue to reference the corresponding natural mineral, provided labels and tags prominently display the word “synthetic” or an approved abbreviation.
However, the use of the word “diamond” and its derivatives in relation to synthetic materials will be prohibited. The regulations also bar the use of colour and quality descriptors commonly associated with natural diamonds.
Marketing restrictions
The resolution prohibits retailers and marketers from using terms such as “precious”, “real”, “genuine”, “natural”, “mined”, “mineral” and “eco-friendly” while describing synthetic stones.
In addition, the weight of synthetic stones may only be disclosed in grams rather than carats. The restrictions apply across all consumer-facing communications, including product labels, tags and marketing materials.
Consumer protection
Russia said the measures were aimed at protecting consumers from misleading sales practices and improving transparency in the jewellery market.
The country, which is the world’s largest producer of natural diamonds by volume, said the regulations would help ensure fair competition between natural and synthetic diamond products while enabling consumers to make informed purchasing decisions.