Diamonds from the lab.
Marilyn Monroe already sang "Diamonds are a girl's best friend". However, we have already explained in one of our latest magazine articles that diamonds are also one of the environment's biggest enemies. The shine and sparkle of diamonds that are thousands of years old may seem beautiful at first glance, but they hide huge environmental damage and human rights violations. That is why they are now even called "blood diamonds". To make the sparkle of diamonds also environmentally friendly, an alternative to traditional diamonds was therefore developed, named diamonds from the laboratory.
For centuries, natural diamonds were both an indisputable status symbol and an indestructible investment. The value of the stones resulted not only from their sparkle but also from their rarity, the unusual circumstances of their creation and the effort required to extract them. The supply of natural diamonds is falling worldwide, which means that diamonds have to be sought in increasingly inaccessible places such as the Arctic or the seabed. Lab-grown diamonds are therefore are a more ethical and transparent alternative to diamonds from mines. Although many people still consider these diamonds to be "fake", they are chemically and physically identical to traditional diamonds from mines. Currently, however, man-made diamonds are still a niche product in the $14 billion global rough diamond business.
How are "blood diamonds" actually created?
Diamonds are formed when pure carbon is compressed over millions of years, hundreds of kilometres below the earth's surface under extreme heat and pressure from the earth’s core. Due to tectonic activity, diamonds are now found at depths that are accessible to humans. You can read more about this here.
The formation of a diamond in the laboratory.
As the name suggests, these diamonds are produced in a laboratory. In a heat and pressure chamber, microwave radiation, methane and other gases are used on the artificial rough diamond. This creates carbon layers that allow the diamond to grow to the desired size. In the past, diamonds from the lab were used especially in industry as cutting tools due to their high melting points and sharpness, not as the highlight of a piece of jewellery.
Where are lab diamonds produced?
So far, China is the global lead in the production of artificial diamonds, after which comes India. India is currently on its way to becoming a major hub for the production of lab diamonds. India already produces a quarter of the world's lab diamonds. Last year, exports of polished lab diamonds from India increased by 55% compared to the previous year.
How do lab diamonds differ from "real" diamonds?
Chemically and structurally, natural and artificial diamonds are almost identical. The differences are microscopic and cannot be seen with the naked eye. In terms of price, however, laboratory diamonds have an advantage over real diamonds. They are on average 20% cheaper than the so-called "blood diamonds". Moreover, conventional diamonds are often sourced from politically unstable countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo and there is often little regard for the lives and health of miners during production.
So diamonds from the lab are a better choice on many levels:
Minimal impact on the environment
No disruption of the natural ecosystem
No human rights violations due to the poor treatment of the workers
In addition, with lab-grown diamonds, there is a direct supply chain where it is possible to track exactly who comes into contact with the jewellery at which stage of the manufacturing process. This means that much greater transparency can be guaranteed.
Lab diamonds = eco-diamonds?
However, lab-grown diamonds are not always eco-diamonds. Synthetically produced diamonds require up to three times the amount of greenhouse gas emissions of mined diamonds. At the same time, the production of lab diamonds also leaves behind waste. Lab-grown diamonds are therefore only truly sustainable if the laboratories in which they are produced rely on renewable energy sources.
The synthetic diamond market is expected to grow at an average rate of 8.11% in the next years to 2024, while lab-grown diamonds are expected to account for 10% of the global diamond market by 2030.
But it is not only when buying diamonds that you should pay attention to sustainability, but also when buying other jewellery. We have put together 4 sustainable jewellery labels for you here. Otherwise, you should also look out for sustainability certificates.
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