The Natural Diamond Council (NDC) has issued an open letter to Pandora CEO, Berta De Pablos-Barbier, regarding the company’s latest communication targetting the natural diamond industry.

Last week, Professional Jeweller reported that the Danish jewellery giant will now declare the carbon footprint of every Pandora Lab-Grown Diamond as part of the product information alongside the 4Cs.

Pandora claims that carbon footprint covers all emissions from the diamond crafting process: from producing the raw materials used to grow the diamond all the way until it is cut and polished, ready to leave the diamond facility.

The NDC responded quickly, claiming in a LinkedIn post that “constructive industry dialogue must be grounded in accuracy, transparency, and respect for the millions of people and communities supported by natural diamonds.”

The NDC’s open letter reads: “Pandora’s latest campaign is another disappointing PR stunt that unfairly attacks the natural diamond industry to promote synthetic diamonds.

“This misleading narrative has real consequences for the tens of millions of people worldwide who depend on the natural diamond industry for jobs, income, and social development.

“Unfortunately, this rhetoric has become familiar from Pandora. In this case, the company compares the current carbon footprint of one of its products against outdated data in some cases dating back to 2013, attributed broadly to the entire natural diamond industry.

“Such comparisons are inaccurate and inconsistent with credible sustainability and responsible marketing standards.

“Pandora also fails to clearly distinguish between two fundamentally different product categories. One is a factory-made product of technology that can be manufactured in virtually unlimited quantities.

“The other is a rare and finite product of nature. Comparing the two solely on value, meaning, or impact misleads consumers and fuels misinformation.

If Pandora is serious about advancing sustainability and supporting the wider jewellery sector, the Natural Diamond Council (NDC) encourages the company to re-engage constructively in industry forums where both the natural and synthetic diamond sectors are working to strengthen environmental stewardship and social responsibility.”