Conscientious Diamond Shopper

Lately, there’s a drastic increase in society’s humanitarian and environmental consciousness and it’s closely followed by the rise in demand for change in several industries. The diamond industry is not scathed free – whether it’d be overt protests or a frightening shift in demand. Conscientious consumers are now increasingly inquisitive on the methods of procurement and production, and the answers to these questions will inform them whether the product is a good investment not only for the communities involved, but also for their conscious sake. Unfortunately to many, the answers are not as black and white as many would like to think.

Diamond Mining 101

To find out the effects of a diamond has to the environment, we’d have to first dive into detail on how diamonds are mined. Depending on the geographical locations, most diamonds are extracted via 2 methods: pipe mining and alluvial mining. Regardless of its approach, state-of-the-art technology and equipment are used to dig into the Earth’s surface to attain these gems. Large corporations have strict and stringent ethical and environmental standards they abide to, a reassurance to consumers of its ethically and environmentally sound practice.

Unfortunately, as with many other industries, some corporations do fall underneath the cracks and exploit loopholes to pursue profits. Informal alluvial mining, also known as artisanal mining, is an approach performed by hand. Many individuals spend their days digging in unsanitary water without any proper safety equipment or even proper tools. Not only is informal mining detrimental to the communities and countries, but it’s also harmful to the environment as well. Their process includes stripping the topsoil, which will leave the land stripped off from its nutrition. Furthermore, these lands are heavily deforested, polluted and eroded.

Fortunately, the percentage of diamonds sourced via informal means is low – according to the World Diamond Council, 3.36% of the world’s diamonds are informally sourced. That said, ensure that you do your own research on the diamond corporate and its practices – especially, if their diamonds are mined diamonds. 

‘Ethical’ Diamonds

To assuage the guilty conscious and abide by their respective moral codes, consumers are now looking into ethical diamonds. There are many attributes to what makes a diamond an ethical diamond, but it all boils down to its procurement. There are companies that put in the effort to help miners and the preservation of the environment. For instance, the Diamond Development Initiative (DDI) is a non-profit organisation that works to formalise the work of these artisanal miners to reduce their exploitation. This also means providing them with training and the know-hows to operate in a way that doesn’t harm themselves and the environment. Furthermore, DDI, in particular, ensures that the land is restored and rehabilitated for agricultural use even once mining has ended.

However, keep in mind that whilst such efforts are worth noting for, most of these diamonds are not traceable to their origins. Not only do these diamonds go through several checkpoints, but there is also no distinct quality to set artisanally mined diamonds from their counterparts. 

‘Conflict-Free’ Diamonds

Conflict-free diamonds are a tad tricky. Conflict-free diamonds are coined as such as they don’t fund any rebel-led wars that plague many of these communities. Whilst this deserves a clap on the back, it still dismisses the fact that the diamonds may still be unethical – humanitarian or environmental wise.

The Mined Diamond Alternative: Lab Grown Diamond

If you wish to decrease your chances of purchasing a mined diamond that may not have a favourable past, there are always options! You may want to consider its alternative: lab grown diamonds.

Lab grown diamonds are, as their name suggests, are grown in strict and regulated environments. Diamond seeds are procured and later placed in either carbon-rich gas chambers or HPHT diamond machines to be exposed to the same geological environment. This effectively promotes their growth as diamonds that are physically, chemically and optically identical to their mined counterparts.

Thus, they not only come with significantly lower risk to miners, their communities and the environment, these lab created diamonds are also just as gorgeous as your regular mined diamonds.

A Conscious Diamond Worth The Money

Now that we know that lab created diamonds are not as detrimental to the miners and the environment, it begs the question of whether this conscious diamond is worth to be included in your jewellery collection.

As we’ve touched on before, lab grown diamonds are physically, chemically and optically similar to mined diamonds. For instance, a lab created diamond scores a 10 on the Mohs scale, making it a perfect everyday jewellery item. This also means they’re the ideal jewellery to keep your legacy going as a family heirloom, seeing as how they can easily last for a lifetime.

These attributes are even more appealing if you consider their price points. The cost of a 1 carat lab grown diamond easily amount to that of a 0.4 carat mined diamond – essentially, you’d be paying half the price for a bigger stone!

On that note, do remember to employ the same amount of attention when choosing the ideal lab grown diamond – we suggest referring to the 4C diamond grading rubric as a guide.

To end of this article, note that not all mined diamonds are shrouded in humanitarian and environmental exploitation. There are diamond corporations that limit their footprints and strive to procure diamonds ethically. However, as a conscious buyer, you will also need to be well-informed of the product before purchase so make sure to do an ample amount of research!