Diamonds are a precious and popular choice for engagement rings and other fine jewelry, but are they sustainable? Traditional diamond mining has a high environmental footprint, often leaving land and water permanently contaminated. However, a new contender has emerged: sustainably created lab diamonds. These lab-grown gems are said to be better for both people and the planet than their natural counterparts. for more information visit this website.
But are lab-created diamonds really sustainable? And if so, what does that mean for the environment? In this article, we take a look at the facts behind these conflict-free and ethically sourced diamonds.
Regardless of whether they are natural or lab-created, all diamonds consist of crystallized carbon. Using modern technology, the raw materials used to make these diamonds are not depletable, unlike the natural resources needed for conventional mining. In fact, the production of lab-created diamonds has been shown to be more eco-friendly than conventional mining, resulting in lower GHG emissions and less waste.
While lab-created diamonds may not be as rare or beautiful as their natural counterparts, they are certainly gaining popularity in the jewelry industry. Lab-created diamonds are made from recycled existing diamonds and, in some cases, by crystallizing carbon molecules in the atmosphere to create a completely new diamond. As demand for these diamonds grows, it’s essential to know the truth about their sustainability.
In order to understand the environmental impacts of the diamond industry, we must first examine the mining process itself. For every one carat of diamonds mined, up to 200 tons of land is ruined, 120 gallons of fresh water is contaminated, and countless pounds of fossil fuel are consumed.
These numbers are staggering, and they’re only expected to rise as the demand for diamonds continues to grow. Fortunately, many jewelers are now selling sustainable lab diamonds, which have been created using recycled and renewable energy sources. This is not only better for the environment, but it also helps to reduce the need for mining new diamonds from the earth, which in turn has a positive impact on local communities.
To create a lab-created diamond, a small piece of existing diamond called a “seed” is placed into a plasma reactor (for CVD synthesis) or a large mechanical press (for HPHT synthesis). This machine then uses intense heat and pressure to layer the carbon, forming a complete diamond. The resulting gem can then be honed, cut, and polished just like any other natural diamond would be.
Some manufacturers are even going a step further and producing diamonds that are certified as carbon neutral. These so-called “negative carbon” diamonds are produced using CO2 captured from the air by companies such as Aether or Skydiamond, who then use that carbon to create a completely new, synthetic diamond. While this is an exciting development for the future of the diamond industry, more work needs to be done to ensure that these new diamonds are truly carbon neutral. Until then, consumers should ask their jewelry retailers to provide full disclosure on the sustainability of their diamonds.