Diamonds are symbols of enduring beauty and love. But before they ever reach the showroom, many mined diamonds have a dark side that stands in direct contrast to this beauty. This is because the majority of diamonds on the market are mined at an incredible cost to the communities and environments that harbor them. While all forms of mining can have negative consequences, diamond mining has proven especially brutal.
It is no secret that the quest for diamonds has contributed to human suffering. The impact has been especially severe in Africa, which contains much of the world’s natural diamond supply. Over the last decade, consumer awareness of the natural diamond trade’s harsh practices has grown. In-depth reporting and even popular culture movies like Blood Diamond have shed light on how natural diamond mining fuels forced labor, violence and countless casualties.
While the mined diamond industry seeks to address some of these issues through increased transparency around the source of natural diamonds, it cannot fully eradicate them. In fact, it is estimated that about 5-10% of the world’s diamonds are still illegally traded. Since natural diamonds exchange hands many times after their discovery, the risk remains that a mined diamond may still be associated with conflict. But even if the industry could somehow fully eliminate these ethical risks, there is another casualty to consider: the environment.
Natural diamond mining can devastate environmental ecosystems. Here are a few examples of how the most popular diamond mining techniques wreak ecological havoc.
Over the last decade, technological advances in lab-made diamond creation have made it possible to match the quality found in nature — to the point that trained gemologists cannot tell the difference between a mined “natural” diamond and a lab grown diamond of comparable features. After years of human suffering and ecological devastation, it is worth pausing to question why there would ever be a good reason to purchase a mined diamond. There isn’t.
With a certified lab created diamond, you don’t have to compromise between quality and ethics. You get both a perfectly beautiful diamond and the peace of mind that it truly is clean, free of conflict, and friendly to the environment. And if that weren’t enough, it also happens to be friendly to your wallet! Clean Origin lab created diamonds can be up to 40% less expensive than their comparable mined counterparts.
In 1477 the Archduke of Austria started a tradition that has endured through the ages — the romantic gesture of offering a diamond engagement ring. It’s about time a diamond’s origin matched this beautiful sentiment. At Clean Origin, we believe true love deserves nothing less.
As mentioned previously, lab created diamonds are diamonds that are created using science — they are “grown” inside a lab using groundbreaking technology, and a process that replicates the natural diamond growing process. Because of this process, it is not uncommon to hear these lab grown gems described as “synthetic diamonds.” While they are synthetic in the sense that they were created and not mined, the term “synthetic” itself can be somewhat of a misnomer. These kinds of diamonds are very much real, and in no way different from natural diamonds chemically, physically, or in appearance.
We have mentioned the questionable ethical practices that have long dogged the diamond mining industry, and while much has been rectified, mined diamonds still result in 1 injury for every 1000 workers every year. This is something that is hard to prevent in a mining environment, whatever precautions are taken. Meanwhile, in a lab, casualties are incredibly rare.
Whether you are looking for a wedding ring, an engagement ring, promise ring, or any other kind of rings or jewelry, a lab grown diamond is the way to go for your choice of gemstone. It is not only more affordable, but it is also the only way you can provide yourself with real peace of mind. All of our diamonds go through the same outside professional grading process for cut, clarity, color, etc., and are guaranteed to give you just as much — or more — joy as a natural diamond. So next time you are looking for diamond jewelry, score one for the earth and go lab grown.
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