As an ethical jewellery business, we are always looking for (and being asked) for the most ethical and sustainable diamond options. One of the answers to this, is the ever increasingly popular lab-grown diamonds. This option has very little impact on the earth because no mining is required. There is also an easy trackable supply chain and has no chance of being a conflict-diamond.
Lab-grown diamonds can use a large amount of energy to create, so making sure that the lab uses renewable energy is a key part to reducing its impact on the environment.
So, what exactly are lab-grown diamonds and are they real? The answer to this is yes; they have exactly the same crystal structure as a naturally occurring mined diamond. The only difference is their origin. Natural diamonds are mined by hand or machine far beneath the earth's surface. Lab-grown diamonds are created by cutting-edge technology that replicates the natural diamond growing process. The result is a man-made diamond that is chemically, physically and optically the same as those grown beneath the Earth's surface.
Lab-grown diamonds are not the same as a cubic zirconia and they are not 'fake'.
BENEFITS OF A LAB-GROWN DIAMOND
- Environmentally-friendly
Naturally occurring diamonds are mined and therefore large areas of land are disturbed; approximately 100 square feet of land per carat diamond. The energy, pollution and deforestation is on a large scale. None of this occurs with a lab-grown diamond.
- Conflict-free
No one is harmed in the creation of lab-grown diamonds and not derived or created from conflict, like a small proportion of natural diamonds. Due to the high price of diamonds, the mining and selling of diamonds have caused wars and deaths. Lab created diamonds have a watertight production process that takes out the element of land ownership and opportunity for rebel warfare.
- Competitively priced
Due to the shorter supply chain, lab-grown diamonds can be anywhere from 20-30% less expensive than mined diamonds.
We are seeing more and more clients asking for lab-grown diamonds to ensure complete transparency of the ethical and sustainability credentials of the stone. It is a win-win purchase as they are lower in price, look exactly the same and no harm has been done by the production of this stone.