The International Diamond Council (IDC) recently announced releasing an updated version of its "IDC Rules for Grading Diamonds." The new rules are designed to outline the terminology for diamonds and "synthetic" diamonds. The updated version incorporates changes in the terminologies, after a feedback from industry-wide consultations on diamond nomenclature.

IDC Chairman Stephane Fischler mentioned that the latest revision and its publication were necessary to amend, correct and make public a number of revisions that had been discussed and agreed upon by the IDC board, but were not incorporated in the document, as yet. "It is essential that we keep our focus on bringing forward shared and transparent nomenclature, based on technological and other advances in the diamond industry, with the purpose to consolidate the trust of the consumer and help to maintain a stable market for diamonds," he said.

Diamond grading laboratories can use the updated version of the rules to choose between three terms: "laboratory-created," "laboratory-grown" and "synthetic", to describe a "synthetic" diamond. By amending its reference document, the IDC has incorporated the recently published CEN Workshop Agreement on consumer confidence and diamond nomenclature. IDC will provide for the updated IDC Rules to be downloadable from its website.