The NDC had complained to the United Kingdom’s advertising watchdog Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), which ordered the erring jewellers to take down the misleading synthetic diamond adverts
London: The Natural Diamond Council (NDC) has welcomed two rulings from the United Kingdom’s advertising watchdog Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), backing its efforts to protect consumers from misleading adverts of synthetic diamonds.
The NDC had complained to the ASA about adverts by two retailers that failed to mention their products were laboratory- grown diamonds. On May 13, 2026, the regulator upheld both complaints. It agreed that UK-based Novita Diamonds and Hong Kong-based Linjer Ltd had misled consumers and were in breach of the UK Code of Non-broadcast Advertising and Direct & Promotional Marketing (CAP Code).
The Novita Diamonds ruling concerned two paid-for Meta ads. The first showed an image of a diamond ring with a description that included the words: “Novita Diamonds Ready-to- Ship Engagement Rings 1-10 days”. The second ad featured a video that showed clips of diamond rings with on-screen text that included the words: “Premium Diamonds” and “Shop our ready-to-ship collection today – Novita Diamonds”.
The Linjer ruling related to two paid-for Google ads. Both included the phrase “Discover our brilliant diamonds”.
Both the companies were told their adverts must not appear again with the same wording. The ASA also told them not to “misleadingly” use the term ‘diamond’ to describe their synthetic diamonds in isolation without a clear and prominent qualifier, such as ‘synthetic’ or ‘laboratory-created’.
“This is a victory for consumers,” said Amber Pepper, CEO, Natural Diamond Council. “Diamonds carry deep emotional significance and are often bought to mark life’s meaningful moments. It’s vital that consumers can make informed choices in total confidence. This is not the first time we have successfully challenged advertising that blurs the distinction between mass-produced products grown in a factory and products of nature formed deep in the Earth over billions of years. We applaud the regulator for once again standing up for consumers – something we too will continue to do as part of our wider mission to educate and inspire people on the values of natural diamonds and their positive impact.”
In both cases, the ASA referenced the National Association of Jewellers’ (NAJ) Diamond Terminology Guideline which is assured and recognized by Trading Standards in the UK market. It states that when referring to synthetic diamonds, brands have to use one of the authorized qualifiers: ‘synthetic’, ‘laboratory-grown’ or ‘laboratory-created’. It bars the use of abbreviations such as ‘lab-grown’ and ‘lab-created’, as well shortening the terms ‘cultured diamonds’ and ‘cultivated diamonds’ as ‘cultured’ and ‘cultivated’, referring exclusively to organic/biogenic products. It further bans use of the terms ‘real’, ‘genuine’, ‘precious’, ‘authentic’ and ‘natural’, as those apply exclusively to natural minerals and gemstones.
The ASA ruled that the nature of the product – whether a diamond was natural or synthetic – would be a key consideration for many consumers. To avoid being misleading, trade participants therefore need to include this material information upfront in the advert itself – not just on the website that consumers navigated to subsequently.
The Novita Diamonds ruling clarifies that even if an advertisement does not explicitly mention ‘diamond’ but the brand name includes ‘diamonds’, a qualifier is required. The ruling against Linjer, meanwhile, demonstrates that ASA regulations apply to UK- targeted paid media, including Meta and Google ads, even if the company is based overseas.
The Natural Diamond Council has successfully challenged misleading advertising a number of times in recent years. In 2024, the ASA upheld a complaint against Skydiamond for failing to clearly identify that its products were laboratory-grown. The ASA also investigated complaints against Lark & Berry and Idyl which it considered likely to be in breach of its code. In both cases, the rulings were published as informally resolved after the companies agreed to amend their advertisements.
“These rulings should send a strong message to manufacturers and retailers,” said David Troostwyk, President of the London Diamond Bourse, which jointly filed the latest complaints against Linjer and Novita Diamonds. “Misleading practices exploit the timeless value people associate with natural diamonds to unduly benefit companies at the expense of consumers. We hope the message is now cutting through that irresponsible advertising will not be tolerated.”
The Natural Diamond Council is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting and protecting the integrity of the natural diamond industry worldwide. Its member operations span four continents and 10 countries including Canada, South Africa and Botswana. NDC operates out of offices in New York, Shanghai, Mumbai and Antwerp, with satellite teams in the UK and France.
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