An advertising watchdog has urged Diamond Foundry to amend its marketing, claiming that some of its language could mislead consumers about the origins of its lab-grown stones.
The San Francisco-based synthetics producer should stop using potentially confusing terms, disclose more prominently the man-made provenance of its diamonds, and change some of the claims it makes on social media, the National Advertising Division (NAD) said [Tuesday March 30]. Diamond Foundry agreed to comply.
The NAD, part of BBB National Programs — a nonprofit that facilitates self-regulation of businesses — assessed Diamond Foundry’s advertising after the Natural Diamond Council (NDC) filed a complaint.
The NDC challenged some of the material that appeared on the website and social-media accounts of Diamond Foundry and Vrai & Oro, its online retail brand, including in product descriptions at the point of sale. In particular, it pointed out certain social-media advertising that presented its goods simply as “diamonds,” without any accompanying disclosure.
While Diamond Foundry’s general messaging makes it clear that its stones are lab-grown, the NAD took issue with some of the specifics. The company should disclose the man-made origin of its products in a transparent and conspicuous way immediately before the word “diamond,” the NAD concluded. It also recommended that Diamond Foundry present the disclosures in a way that mobile users can see them without having to scroll down.
Photo © Diamond Foundry.
