October 2021 | Lab Grown Magazine

October 2021 | The Lab Grown Diamond Resource Book 24 To advertise call (888) 832-1109 | October 2021 25 “E xpect the unexpected.”To some, that phrase would be defined as “don’t be surprised by unusual circumstances.”Others may take the meaning as “be prepared for anything.”Which group would you place yourself in? In this example, two groups of people are offering similar meanings to the same phrase. The first group suggests deflecting a reaction while the other group offers action-focused advice. From a quick read of the two definitions, if you were initially siding with the first group, odds are you jumped to the second as soon as you read it.This is common as the latter description appears to be more definitive in tone. To some, it may even read more intellectual than the first. Two groups comprised of the same type of individuals yet divided by three simple words. By the way, if you re-read both phrase meanings, you’ll note that both are forms of advice. The first is more of a suggestion to “go with the flow” while the second is far from intellectual; it’s actually senseless as it’s impossible to be ready for anything at any time. TheTelephone Game Today’s mined and man-made diamond producers continue to play with words and definitions. Diamond terms and phrase definitions that begin as a mixed message always produce cloudy communication through all parts of the supply chain. Remember the old game of Telephone? Imagine the result when the conversation starts with two different meanings to the same phrase. Today’s diamond business is focused on a few select two-word phrases. Within the top three is eco- friendly and environmentally friendly, which according to Google Trends is the more popular text search phrase over its more compact version. And the phrase environmentally friendly has been dancing alongside the search term sustainability , based on Google Trends analytics to date. In Part One of this Three Part series, we outlined how corporate America and the diamond business world at large define sustainability . While lab-grown and mined diamond sides are quickly becoming more aligned to an agreed definition of sustainability , the copy associated with natural and LGD product advertising and marketing is anything but aligned. In the last issue, we reviewed the lawsuits that are still in full swing. While dueling diamond attorneys try to settle out of court, small-to-mid-sized LGD companies are challenged by warnings on improper or misleading ad copy from the Federal government. Carbon Credits The news of the now focuses on do-gooders, often from companies tooting their own horn. The latest example is IGI’s self-proclaimed pio- neering effort towards carbon neutrality. In a recent global press release, IGI notes that it is “…working to unite the industry with a new campaign focused on sustainability.”This IGI initative is called Jewelers on a Mission and invites eligible retailers to complete an application describing why sustainability is key to their businesses and their community. The winner receives $5,000 in carbon credits towards becoming carbon neutral. All participants will receive IGI’s playbook to help improve their sustainability efforts - a sort of standard marketing reward given to someone for their time and data while keeping your company top-of-mind, especially with a guidebook meant to hit your bookshelf and not your trash can. IGI selected SCS Global (SCS) to be the developer of the first natural diamond and lab-grown diamond sustainability certifications, as a campaign partner. SCS has been leading sustainable development across multiple sectors with paid auditing/testing/ certification as a triad package. It has certainly taken the publicity leadership role in this category. SCS quickly gained the good housekeeping seal of diamond sustenance, benchmarked by newly created industry standards and the auditing of such. Once a jeweler has successfully entered the contest and proves to be consistently carbon-neutral, that company will be declared the Jewelers on a Mission winner. That one winner would receive the SCS carbon neutrality seal of approval on its IGI reports and marketing assets, assuming that the jeweler uses IGI for their grading reports. Jewelers are invited to visit igi.org/sustainability to enter. On Point, Counterpoint First, congratulations to IGI for becoming the first gemological institute to commit to becoming carbon neutral by 2022. It joins the Responsible Jewelry Council (RJC), International Precious Metals Institute (IPMI), and Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA), in association with SCS. “We are thrilled to be in a position where our experiences with environmentalism can help other businesses,” stated IGI, “which is why we decided every applicant will receive IGI’s road map to improving sustainability efforts.” Accolades asides, here’s a case that may be leveraging a green strategy as a possible disguise. Clearly, the underlying marketing mission is to focus on trust linking directly to IGI’s grading reports. But let’s go deeper. Two points immediately appear that are curious in this contest. Point One: It’s sad that there is only one winner to this competition. IGI will certainly attract hundreds, if not thousands of applicants, yet the expected and to-be-celebrated outcome is reserved for only one company. No runners up, no second prize… one winner exclusively. Odder still is an IGI promoted graphic specific to this contest on IGI.org that reads: “A study found that just 100 companies are responsible for 71% of global emissions.” Based on this unknown data source, wouldn’t it make more sense to restrict the entries to the 100 companies that are the worst offenders in the dirty global emissions contributors’ market? Not for IGI, of course, as this contest is focused on diamond companies. But if none of those 100 companies are diamond related, it begs the question: Is our industry green washing in an attempt to garner consumer trust via headline news? Is this green game more about playing a game than going green? Just how guilty is the diamond industry in relation to negative global emissions anyhow? And, how hard is it to become carbon neutral? For that matter, what exactly is it and how is it measured? You’re about to find out. Google Trends shows New Hampshire, South Dakota and Iowa ranking in the top three North American locations where specific Google text searches were noted. From September 20, 2020 to August 30, 2021, the terms "sustainability" and "environmentally friendly" competed in interesting spikes and valleys, and the often stated but rarely searched text phrase, "eco-friendly," nearly flatlined. (Image: Google) IGI's new diamond sustainability logo was launched in support of its current B2B jeweler campaign that awards $5,000 of carbon credit to one winner. The symbol may have been created for broader use and may find itself within IGI's next style guide. (Image: IGI)