Image: ln24SA
Botswana’s President Duma Boko is pushing for naturally mined diamonds to retain exclusive use of the word “diamond”, arguing that laboratory-grown alternatives should have a distinct identity in the global jewellery market.
Boko says the distinction is essential to protecting the value, identity and commercial position of natural diamonds as lab-grown stones gain market share.
Drawing a comparison with France’s protection of the Champagne label, he argues that natural diamonds deserve similar recognition and protection against market confusion.
As lab-grown alternatives expand, the debate over what qualifies as a diamond is becoming increasingly important to the industry.
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