— by Cullen Jewellery — Reading time 4 minutes
The Environmental Impact of Lab Grown Diamonds vs Mined Diamonds. Who wins?
Mined diamonds have a widely bad reputation for their environmental impact and murky ethics – but is it justified? Before the rollout of lab-grown diamonds across fine jewellery, mined gemstones were the only options for engagement rings, so their impact (which we’ll explore) was accepted as a norm. Now, lab-grown diamonds have taken the fine jewellery industry by storm. But between the two – which is better for the environment?
How unethical is diamond mining?
In the case of diamond mining, we need to look at multiple angles to determine how bad it is for the world. Firstly, it’s vital to consider the ethics pertaining to how people in the process are treated, as well as where the diamond has been mined.
The term ‘blood diamonds’ refers to mined diamonds that come from ‘conflict areas’ and where the proceeds of sale have been used to fund the conflict. While there are processes in place (like the Kimberley Process) that aim to police and stop the trade of blood diamonds, we’ve previously discussed the loopholes in such trade processes.
Another thing to think about is the human aspect of diamond mining, whether it’s the miners or the people who live in the surrounding areas where mining takes place. There have been cases where children are forced into mining, as well as cases where evidence has surfaced of miners being abused. On top of this, there have been occasions where diamonds have been discovered in areas where locals are then forcefully removed from their ancestral homes, with one of the most recent cases being the Chiadzwa case in 2011. Today, the 1300 families from the area have yet to be rehoused and remain living in poverty.
The issues, in this case, arise with mined diamond brands that don’t have transparent supply chains or blockchain technology to show where each stone was mined. Clients of these jewellers could unknowingly be buying unethical stones or stones mined under these circumstances.
Are lab diamond engagement rings really more ethical?
The question we all want to be answered. And the answer is – yes. The process of growing lab diamonds means that unethical activities can be completely avoided. Lab-grown diamonds aren’t mined, and so those communities don’t need to be displaced because no diamonds are being mined.
Lab-grown diamonds are made in controlled lab-like environments, meaning diamond growers can closely monitor the working conditions and ensure all employees are of working age and capability.
And when it comes to trading, lab-grown diamonds don’t come with the same baggage as mined diamonds, and so are largely known as ‘conflict-free diamonds’, meaning you can have a clear conscience while you make this important decision.
Is diamond mining bad for the environment?
The simple answer here is yes. While some mined diamond brands aim to restore the land they mine diamonds from, or only mine in certain areas, the process of mining is largely detrimental to the environment regardless of how much care is taken.
Mined diamonds are found roughly about 150-200 kilometres below the surface, and the amount of fuel and energy needed to dig this deep is unfathomable. Once the area has been swept for diamonds, the earth cannot be used for farming, and any surrounding bodies of water are usually polluted from the harmful chemicals released during mining. This means that the environmental damage of mining can lead to local communities being driven away as the land is no longer viable to live in, making it unethical too.
Given that there is no way to mine for diamonds without causing at least a fraction of this damage, lab-grown diamonds are by far the best option.
While our Impact Report details our commitment to ensuring the ethical use of our jewellery and stones, we’re always happy to discuss this further (another green flag to look for with other jewellers). If you’d like to discuss the Cullen Jewellery approach to ethics in more detail, get in touch here.