FTC Jewelry and Precious Metals Guides — Gold, Silver, Diamond Labeling Rules

The FTC's Guides for the Jewelry, Precious Metals, and Pewter Industries — codified at 16 CFR Part 23 — set the federal standard for what sellers can and cannot claim about the gold, silver, platinum, diamond, and gemstone content of jewelry and related products. These are "guides" under 15 U.S.C. § 45 (FTC Act prohibition on unfair or deceptive practices), not formal regulations — but deviating from them is strong evidence of deception, and the FTC actively enforces them through cease-and-desist actions and civil penalties. The rules govern anyone who sells, markets, or describes industry products: manufacturers, importers, distributors, retailers, and online sellers. If you see a "14K gold" tag on a necklace, a "flawless diamond" advertisement, or a "sterling silver" marking on flatware, these guides define whether those claims are legal.

Current Rule (2026)

Precious Metal Standards

Gold (§ 23.3)

The unqualified word "gold" can only be used for products that are at least 10 karats fine (41.7% gold by weight). Karats measure gold purity on a 24-part scale:

Products with karat marks must have the mark accompanied by the manufacturer's or tradename identifier (the "accompaniment mark") — a 14K stamp alone on a ring from an unknown source doesn't meet the full guide standard, though the FTC doesn't require this in all circumstances.

Gold-filled: A gold-filled product has a base metal core (usually brass or copper) with a thick layer of gold mechanically bonded to the surface. The gold layer must be at least 1/20 of the total metal weight and at least 10 karats fineness. Properly marked as "1/20 14K Gold Filled" or "14K G.F." The layer is typically 50–100 times thicker than gold plating.

Gold-plated / Gold electroplated: A thin layer of gold deposited electrically on a base metal. FTC guidance requires the gold layer to be at least 0.5 microns thick for "gold plated" and 2.5 microns for "heavy gold plated." Products with layers under 0.5 microns may only be called "gold washed" or "gold flashed."

Vermeil (§ 23.4): A specific product type with a sterling silver base (≥925/1000 fine) coated with gold of at least 10 karat fineness and a minimum thickness of 2.5 microns. The term "vermeil" (pronounced ver-MAY) implies higher quality than ordinary gold-plated items because the base is sterling silver rather than brass or copper.

Silver (§ 23.5)

The unqualified word "silver" may only be used for products with ≥925/1000 fine silver (the same standard as "sterling"). Products that are silver-plated must be identified as such.

Platinum and Platinum Group Metals (§§ 23.6–23.7)

The platinum group metals (PGMs) are platinum, iridium, palladium, ruthenium, rhodium, and osmium. FTC rules set strict fineness thresholds:

Rhodium plating disclosure (§ 23.7): Rhodium plating is commonly applied to white gold and sterling silver jewelry to improve brightness and scratch resistance. Because rhodium is a PGM, the FTC requires disclosure of surface rhodium application on products marked or described as precious metal — sellers cannot claim a product is "platinum" if it is white gold with a rhodium coating.

Pewter (§ 23.9)

Products may be marked "pewter" only if they consist of at least 900 parts per 1,000 Grade A Tin (the highest quality commercial tin), with the remainder composed of metals appropriate for pewter (typically antimony and copper). Modern pewter is lead-free; the old formula containing lead is not permitted for products sold in the U.S.

Diamond Rules (§§ 23.12–23.18)

Definition (§ 23.12): A diamond is a mineral consisting essentially of pure carbon crystallized in the isometric system (cubic crystal structure). The unqualified word "diamond" may only be used for natural diamonds. A laboratory-created stone that is chemically and physically identical to a natural diamond must be described with a qualifying term such as "laboratory-created," "laboratory-grown," "man-made," or "synthetic" — e.g., "laboratory-created diamond" or "synthetic diamond." The FTC updated its guidance in 2018 to clarify that lab-grown diamonds are real diamonds chemically, but must be disclosed as lab-created.

Flawless claims (§ 23.13): "Flawless" can only describe a diamond that shows no flaws, cracks, inclusions, carbon spots, clouds, or other blemishes when examined under a corrected magnifier at 10x power with adequate illumination by a skilled grader. "Internally flawless" means no internal flaws at 10x magnification (surface blemishes may exist). Terms like "perfect" are treated identically to "flawless."

Treatment disclosure (§ 23.14): Diamond treatments (fracture filling, laser drilling, HPHT treatment to improve color) must be disclosed if they are not permanent or if they require special care (e.g., avoid ultrasonic cleaners that can loosen fracture-fill). The FTC requires disclosure in a manner that reaches the consumer before purchase.

Weight misrepresentation (§ 23.18): Diamond weight must be expressed in carats (1 carat = 0.2 grams). "Point" notation (e.g., "25 points") may only be used if the equivalent carat weight is also stated (e.g., "25 points or .25 carat"). "Total weight" claims for multi-stone settings must clearly state the total carat weight of all stones combined.

Terms prohibited without qualification: "Blue white" may only describe a diamond that shows a blue tint in normal north daylight (§ 23.15). "Brilliant" or "full cut" unqualified describes only a round diamond with at least 32 facets above and 24 facets below the girdle (§ 23.17).

Pearl Rules (§§ 23.19–23.23)

The unqualified word "pearl" may only describe a natural pearl (§ 23.20). Cultured pearls must be identified as "cultured." Simulated or imitation pearls must use those qualifiers — the word "pearl" alone implies natural origin.

Gemstone Rules (§§ 23.24–23.28)

Treatment disclosure (§ 23.24): Sellers must disclose gemstone treatments if: (a) the treatment is not permanent; (b) the treatment requires special care (e.g., "avoid ultrasonic cleaning"); or (c) the treatment has a significant effect on the gemstone's value. Common treatments requiring disclosure include: heat treatment of rubies, sapphires, and emeralds; beryllium diffusion; fracture filling; dyeing; irradiation; and coating.

Lab-created gemstones (§ 23.25): Rubies, sapphires, emeralds, and all other gemstone names must be qualified when applied to lab-created stones. Required qualifiers: "laboratory-created," "laboratory-grown," "synthetic," or "[manufacturer name]-created." Using "ruby" alone implies a natural stone.

"Real," "genuine," "natural," "precious" (§ 23.27): These terms cannot describe any manufactured or artificial industry product. A cubic zirconia cannot be called "real gemstone." A lab-created stone cannot be called "natural."

How It Affects You

If you sell jewelry or precious metal products online or in a store: The FTC Jewelry Guides (16 CFR Part 23) are not suggestions — deviating from them creates legal exposure under Section 5 of the FTC Act as an unfair or deceptive practice. The most common seller violations: (1) Mislabeled gold content — a "14K gold" stamp on a product that is actually gold-plated brass is a federal deception violation; buyers can get a very thin gold layer (under 0.5 microns) and call it nothing stronger than "gold washed"; "gold filled" requires a layer that is at least 1/20 of total metal weight at 10K or higher. (2) Undisclosed silver plating — the word "silver" or "sterling" cannot appear anywhere on silver-plated products; you must say "silver-plated." (3) Unqualified lab-grown diamond claims — if you sell lab-grown diamonds, the word "diamond" must always appear with a qualifier: "laboratory-created diamond," "laboratory-grown diamond," "man-made diamond," or "synthetic diamond." Calling them simply "diamonds" violates the guides. (4) Rhodium coating on white gold — if you sell white gold jewelry coated with rhodium (extremely common), you must disclose the rhodium layer; you cannot call the piece "platinum" because rhodium is a platinum group metal. FTC enforcement has concentrated on online sellers; the agency's cease-and-desist record for jewelry misrepresentation is publicly available at ftc.gov/enforcement. Civil penalties for violating an FTC order run up to $51,744 per violation.

If you buy jewelry or precious metals: Federal law establishes a clear code for reading what you're actually buying. For gold: the karat number tells you the percentage — 24K is 99.9% gold, 18K is 75%, 14K is 58.5%, 10K is 41.7%. The U.S. minimum for calling a product "gold" is 10K. No karat mark, or a mark below 10K, and the piece is not legally "gold." Check that the karat stamp is accompanied by a maker's mark (required under the full guide standard). For silver: "Sterling," ".925," or "925" means the piece is at least 92.5% fine silver — the U.S. standard for sterling. Anything lower must be identified as silver-plated. For diamonds: the unqualified word "diamond" means a natural diamond; if a seller is using "diamond" without qualification for a lab-grown stone, that's a guide violation you can report to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. A claim of "flawless" is a specific legal standard — no flaws under 10x magnification — and "VS1," "SI2," etc. are not FTC-defined terms but rather GIA grades; ask for the GIA or AGS certificate for any diamond purchase over $500. For pearls: "pearl" alone means a natural (wild) pearl, which is extremely rare and valuable; almost all jewelry pearls are "cultured." If a seller calls a product a "pearl" without the "cultured" qualifier, either they have a very rare product or they're making a misleading claim.

If you sell lab-grown diamonds or synthetic gemstones: This is the most rapidly evolving area of the FTC Jewelry Guides. The 2018 FTC guidance confirmed that lab-grown diamonds are real diamonds chemically and physically — they are not cubic zirconia or moissanite, which are genuinely different materials — but they must always be identified as lab-created. The specific required qualifiers are: "laboratory-created," "laboratory-grown," "man-made," or "synthetic." You may not use "real diamond" or "genuine diamond" alone without a qualifier. The same framework applies to lab-grown colored gemstones: a lab-grown ruby must be called "laboratory-created ruby," not just "ruby." Failure to qualify these terms is an active enforcement priority. In practice, marketing that uses "diamond" prominently in headlines and relegates "laboratory-created" to fine print may not satisfy the guide's materiality standard — the qualification must reach the consumer before purchase in a clear and conspicuous manner. The Jewelers Vigilance Committee (jvclegal.org) provides industry compliance resources including labeling review and member compliance programs; the Gemological Institute of America (gia.edu) offers grading reports that serve as third-party verification for both natural and lab-grown stones.

If you import or manufacture jewelry and precious metal products: Every product you import or manufacture that is described as gold, silver, platinum, or containing diamonds, pearls, or gemstones is covered by the FTC Jewelry Guides — and U.S. Customs and Border Protection coordinates with the FTC on deceptive import labeling. The most common import compliance failure is karat misrepresentation: products stamped with a higher karat or fineness than the actual metal content. FTC and CBP can seize and deny entry to mislabeled precious metal products. For platinum-group metals, the rules are especially precise: products containing less than 950 parts per 1,000 PGM cannot be stamped "platinum" without specifying the component metals and their proportions (e.g., "850Plat./150Irid."). Products under 500 parts per 1,000 PGM cannot use the word "platinum" at all. If you're setting up quality control for imported jewelry, get independent assay testing from an accredited metals testing laboratory (ASTM standards E1053 for XRF verification) to verify fineness matches your stamps before the product hits the U.S. market. The FTC's compliance resources for the jewelry industry are at ftc.gov/business-guidance/industry/jewelry.

Statutory Authority

This rule implements:

• 15 U.S.C. § 45 — Section 5 of the FTC Act: declares unfair or deceptive acts or practices in or affecting commerce to be unlawful; authorizes the FTC to promulgate guides and rules, investigate violations, and issue cease-and-desist orders; civil penalties of up to $51,744 per violation apply when an FTC order has been violated

Recent Developments

• 2018 Lab-Grown Diamond Guidance: FTC issued updated guidance confirming that lab-grown diamonds need not be called "synthetic" — "laboratory-created" or "laboratory-grown" are acceptable alternatives. The FTC also clarified that pure lab-grown carbon crystals (identical chemical structure to natural diamonds) are real diamonds — but sellers must still disclose their lab origin. This guidance followed rapid growth in the lab-grown diamond market.
• FTC enforcement against false gold and silver claims: The FTC regularly brings actions against online sellers — particularly in the watches and jewelry sectors — for misrepresenting precious metal content. Common violations: marking non-precious metal items as "silver" or "gold"; overstating karat fineness; failing to disclose gold-plated status.
• Lab-grown gemstones market expansion: The same lab-grown disclosure framework applies to lab-created rubies, emeralds, and sapphires — a growing segment as synthetic colored stones become commercially viable at gem quality. FTC has issued warning letters to sellers using unqualified gemstone names for lab-created stones.

Pending Action

(Left for wiki-enrich — FTC rulemaking on green guides and environmental claims may affect jewelry labeling for recycled metals.)