Diamonds are a girl’s best friend,” they say. But does this friendship come with a clear conscience?
From time immemorial, these sparkles have symbolized love, commitment, and luxury. However alluring they may seem, these precious rocks come at a steep cost, both environmental and ethical. From the devastating mining operations to the concern of child labor, the journey of these gems is far from sparkling and transparent.
Investing in diamond jewelry can be huge, making it a purchase you want to be sure about. Unfortunately, it may be a hefty undertaking for some. In such situations, a brilliant and ethical alternative shines through- lab-grown diamonds! These diamond alternatives are developed in a controlled laboratory setting, mimicking the natural process of age-old diamond formation.
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The result? Unlike popular belief, they are nowhere near cubic zirconia, but crystals are indistinguishable from their mined counterparts. However, they come without the steep price tag and ethical concerns.
By choosing lab-created diamonds for your wedding ring, you are not just selecting jewelry to cherish but also sticking to your values. You are committing to a piece that shines as bright as you love without casting a shadow on the planet or its inhabitants.
Join us in this piece as we discuss the benefits of choosing lab-grown gemstones for your wedding ring.
What Are Lab-Grown Diamonds?
Considered a woman’s best friend, these crystals are the most sought-after gemstones, symbolizing promises made in love. However, their sky-high prices make them out of reach for most commoners. In modern times, young women support sustainability and embrace lab-grown diamonds rather than mined ones. Made from a couple of processes like Pressure High Temperature (HPHT) or Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD), these diamonds are created in a laboratory.
The HPHT mechanism begins by subjecting carbon to high temperature and pressure to encourage crystal growth. This is similar to the natural diamond-making but recreated in a controlled environment. In the second procedure, a cloud of hydrocarbon gas is heated in the vacuum chamber, where the atoms are deposited onto a substrate, forming a brilliant crystal.
One can not tell the difference between a lab-grown diamond via the HTHR or CVD method and a mined diamond with the naked eye. Only scientists can distinguish between the two by analyzing and identifying markers caused by growth conditions.
The difference between lab-grown vs. natural gemstones for wedding rings can be figured out as the former displays trace elements that may not be present in the natural ones. Apart from this, they have the exact physical and chemical composition, exhibiting the exact fire, sparkle, and scintillation.
Environmental Benefits
It is time lab-grown diamonds slide into the limelight, and things are rightfully turning in the correct direction. With an increased awareness about the threats faced by the planet and its inhabitants alike, people are making an informed switch towards lab-grown gemstones.
Not only are they sustainable, but they are ethical as they do not support child labor or other heinous practices, robbing people of their privileges. The production cost is lower as it uses fewer resources, making it greener than its mined counterparts. Although the initial cost of setting up a laboratory is high, the environmental impact of mining is negated by the energy efficiency of creating the eco-friendly gemstone.
Cost-Effectiveness
The timeless beauty and elegance of lab-created diamonds are at par with the mined diamonds but with a significantly reduced environmental impact. Extracting mined diamonds takes a hefty toll on finance as mining operations are expensive. Meanwhile, lab-grown diamonds created in a controlled laboratory dramatically reduce costs once the lab is up and running. It can be up to 85% and at least 20% more affordable than their mined counterparts.
Apart from this, the lab-created gemstone contains fewer impurities and defects, making it superior in terms of clarity. Apart from this, they can be customized to the client’s preference, making them a more personalized option for your wedding ring.
There are few commercially available diamond mines globally, so these gemstones are getting rarer, hence the hyped prices. Apart from this, the larger value chain of miners, merchants, cutters, polishers, jewelry manufacturers, and retailers surges the price of mined diamonds.
Ethical Considerations
Lab-grown diamonds are considered conflict-free gemstones as they avoid most environmental and human rights issues associated with mined diamonds. Most millennial women now favor certified eco-friendly diamonds with traceable origins and carbon-neutral footprints.
Historically, unfair wages and hazardous working conditions were common. But now, most miners are making sustainable commitments to create a safe and secure working environment. Major mining countries like Africa, Canada, and Australia are taking initiatives to build infrastructure and roadways for their workers along with compatible working laws and safety standards. Despite the advancements, unfair working standards persist in some parts, which vary from country to country.
Although diamond mining is not inherently unethical, when the “resource-rich” zones fall into the wrong hands, it can hinder socio-economic development, becoming a “resource curse.” The Kimberley Process implemented by the UN in 2003 prevents the conflict diamonds, popularly termed “blood diamonds,” from trickling down into the global market. This mining plight was portrayed in the movie ‘Blood Diamond 2006, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Connelly, which depicts the brutal realities although diluted down.
Currently, the 81 countries in the KPCS prevent 99.8% of the trade of conflicted diamonds globally. Although purchasing a certified mined diamond in the US can be almost conflict-free, focus on the word “almost” and opt for a sustainable alternative: the lab-grown diamond.
Conclusion
After learning about the environmental and ethical benefits of lab-grown gemstones, the millennial population chooses lab-grown diamonds as a conscious consumer base. For most of the population, these prerequisites stand as a benchmark for purchasing their engagement diamond, no matter how much people stress that “real is rare.” The lab-grown sparkles are winning the hearts of the younger generation and will soon gain more value than their mined counterparts for all the right reasons.