The National Advertising Division (NAD) of BBB National Programs has issued a recommendation to e-commerce retailer Agape Diamonds, urging them to enhance the clarity surrounding the origins of their synthetic and simulated gemstones.
The NAD’s directive followed a challenge from the National Diamond Council (NDC) in response to Agape’s claims. The NDC’s concern was that Agape’s promotional materials, including the presentation of products on their website, lacked adequate and conspicuous disclosure regarding the provenance of their gemstones. According to the NAD’s report last week, the NDC asserted that Agape’s advertising practices were in violation of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) guidelines governing the marketing of jewelry.
Responding to the NDC’s complaint, Agape promptly modified their advertising content across their website and social media platforms. The NAD reviewed these changes and deemed the revised disclosures to be effective and in alignment with FTC regulations. However, the watchdog noted that certain other online advertisements still fell short of meeting the standard of “clear and conspicuous” origin disclosure.
In light of this, the NAD has called upon Agape to address the remaining shortcomings by incorporating terms like “simulated” or “lab-grown” immediately preceding the terms “diamond” or “stone.” The watchdog emphasized the necessity of these descriptive terms being equally prominent to unequivocally convey the nature and source of the product, ensuring a transparent understanding that the gemstone is not sourced through traditional mining processes.
As of Sunday, neither Agape nor the NDC had provided comments. In a statement provided to the NAD, Agape affirmed its commitment to uphold accurate and truthful advertising practices, a commitment endorsed by NAD and reinforced by federal regulations under the jurisdiction of the FTC.
