By Sarah Robertson (Robertson.Sarah@dorsey.com), Fara Sunderji (sunderji.fara@dorsey.com), and Susan Progoff (progoff.susan@dorsey.com)
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is currently seeking comments to its Jewelry Guides. The Guides help businesses avoid deceptive claims and unfair trade practices for precious metals, pewter, diamonds, gemstones, and pearl products. The current version of the Guides, see http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/guides/jewel-gd.shtm, was last comprehensively reviewed in 1996, but four amendments have been made since then. This time around, the FTC is welcoming comments on any related topics, but it is specifically soliciting thoughts on the following issues: (1) the marketing of lead-glass-filled composite stones (e.g., "composite" rubies); (2) use of the word "cultured" in marketing laboratory-created diamonds and gemstones; (3) disclosures relating to freshwater pearls and treatments to pearl products; and (4) content descriptions of alloys and alloy products containing precious metals in amounts less than the minimum thresholds currently reflected in the Guides.
Comments can be submitted at https://ftcpublic.commentworks.com/ftc/jewelryguidesreview/. The comment period closes on September 28, 2012.
For information about EASL's Fashion Law Committee, contact Co-Chairs David Faux (davefaux@dhf-law.net) and/or Lisa Willis (lmw@cll.com).