Ethical lab grown diamonds are a great choice for consumers who want to make a positive impact on the planet while still buying diamonds. They are ethically sourced, environmentally friendly, and cost less than natural mined diamonds. Millennials are increasingly turning to ethical diamond jewelry, as they look for ways to make greener purchases.
Traditional, natural diamonds are formed from heat and pressure deep in the Earth’s crust. They are then extracted and sold to jewelers. The process of mining a natural diamond can cause deforestation, air and water pollution, and damage to the land’s ecosystem. It also often requires unsafe conditions and the exploitation of workers in developing countries.
The diamond mining industry is a global issue that can affect countries in Africa and beyond. It is a controversial ethical lab grown diamonds subject that often involves conflict and human rights issues, such as the use of child labor.
It is not uncommon for artisanal diamond miners to be exploited and forced to work under dangerous conditions, and many of these mines are located in conflict zones, including Sierra Leone, Angola, Liberia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The exploitation of these workers can also lead to health and safety risks, such as exposure to deadly gases and a high risk of death.
However, a growing number of companies are making claims about their ethical diamonds and their environmental benefits. Some are even backing up these claims with third-party evidence.
While this is helpful in providing a level of assurance, it can also lead to misleading and unfounded marketing claims by retailers. Benson points to a study by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission that found 57 per cent of businesses in eight industries made eco-claims without sufficient evidence. He also warns that companies should only make eco-claims if they can back them up with third-party evidence.
One of the main concerns of consumers about lab-grown diamonds is their authenticity. Although the technology used to create them is the same as that used to produce diamonds naturally, many people believe that lab-grown diamonds are not real and therefore fake or inferior. This belief has led to ethical diamond rings a lot of confusion about lab-grown diamonds, as well as a lack of consumer understanding of their differences with natural mined diamonds.
Fortunately, there are a number of laboratories that are creating ethically sourced, sustainable diamonds. These labs are using a variety of methods to produce diamonds. Some of them use Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD), while others employ a high-pressure high-temperature technique.
Both processes involve locking a tiny diamond seed in a chamber and exposing it to carbon gases at high temperatures and low pressures. This creates a plasma around the diamond seed, and the carbon atoms then stick to it, forming layers of the diamond.
Conclusion
Because these processes can be repeated and scaled up, the diamonds can be a lot cheaper than those that are naturally mined. The labs can also be run more efficiently, allowing them to produce diamonds at a much higher production rate than would be possible with traditional mining.