Ethics of Lab Grown Diamonds
Many customers ask: Are lab-grown diamonds more ethical than natural diamonds? To answer this, it’s important to examine their environmental and social impacts alongside those of natural diamonds.
Lab-grown diamonds are genuine diamonds created in a controlled environment using two primary methods:
- High Pressure, High Temperature (HPHT): This process mimics the natural conditions under which diamonds form deep within the Earth.
- Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD): This technique involves depositing carbon atoms onto a diamond seed, and growing the diamond layer by layer.
In contrast, natural diamonds form over billions of years deep within the Earth’s crust under extreme heat and pressure. The diamond industry has long faced scrutiny regarding its human rights and environmental impact, including:
- Conflict Diamonds: During the late 20th century, concerns arose over conflict diamonds, also known as blood diamonds, which were mined in war zones and sold to fund armed conflict.
- Environmental Impact of Mining: Diamond mining, especially open-pit mining, has been associated with deforestation, soil erosion, and ecosystem disruption.
- Social Issues: In some regions, diamond mining has been linked to labor exploitation and unsafe working conditions.
Lab-grown diamonds are often seen as a more ethical choice due to their unique advantages:
- Mining-Free Production: Lab-grown diamonds do not require mining, reducing concerns about habitat destruction, land degradation, and displacement of communities.
- Controlled Labor Conditions: Production takes place in laboratories with lower risk working environments compared to mining operations.
- Enhanced Traceability: Lab-grown diamonds typically have shorter supply chains, making traceability to the manufacturer and/or lab easier to verify.
However, lab-grown diamond production can be energy-intensive, and its environmental impact depends on whether renewable energy sources are used.
Lab Grown vs. Natural Diamond Ethics
Comparing the ethics of lab-grown and natural diamonds involves weighing their distinct impacts:
- Environmental Impact: Lab-grown diamonds avoid mining, reducing land-use changes. However, their production generates greenhouse gas emissions. Natural diamonds involve mining which can have significant environmental impacts, though some mining companies have environmental management programs.
- Supply Chain Transparency: Lab-grown diamonds are generally easier to trace to the source. However, blockchain tracking technology and certifications like the Kimberley Process exist to support conflict-free natural diamonds.
- Labor Practices: Lab-grown diamonds are produced in controlled settings with lower risk working environments. In the natural diamond industry, efforts are ongoing to improve working conditions throughout the supply chain, and some mining and manufacturing companies hold independent social and environmental certifications.
At Brilliant Earth, we offer both responsibly sourced lab-grown and natural diamonds. Our standards exceed the Kimberley Process requirements by ensuring our diamonds are not only conflict-free but also sourced responsibly. Our Beyond Conflict Free Diamonds® are mined under fair labor conditions and provide fair wages while also adhering to strict environmental standards. Our Beyond Conflict Free® mines are located in Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, and Canada, which are recognized as low to moderate risk by the Gemstones and Jewellery Community Platform Index. We were also one of the first to use revolutionary blockchain technology that tracks a diamond’s journey from mine to market. This technology provides a secure and permanent record of a diamond’s origin and responsible sourcing.
Our lab grown collections also include some of the most innovative diamonds on the planet: Our Renewable Collection features lab diamonds grown, cut, and polished with 100% renewable energy from wind and solar farms, while our Capture Collection features lab diamonds grown from carbon before it’s released into the atmosphere. Both collections reflect our ongoing commitment to rethinking how diamonds are sourced—and how jewelry is made.
Ethical sourcing of lab-grown versus natural diamonds truly depends on individual priorities. Both options present unique considerations, and customers are encouraged to research and choose based on their personal values and the sourcing practices of the companies they support.
