Let's Talk Lab Diamonds
With sustainability and transparency being our number one value, when it came to sourcing our stones there were just too many missing pieces in the puzzle. We couldn’t grasp exactly where the stones were mined, cut and polished and under what conditions- this just didn’t feel right. The more we researched and asked questions the more we understood the Diamond and Stone mining industries to still be layered in corruption, environmental destruction and social abuse. For these reasons and many more, from March 2020 we moved to Lab made Diamonds & Sapphires as we believe this supports our brands values and mission.
Diamonds without the Damage
Mined Diamonds were formed over 3 billion years ago deep within the Earth’s crust under conditions of intense heat and pressure that cause carbon atoms to crystallise forming diamonds. Diamonds are found at a depth of approx. 150-200km below the surface of the Earth and here the temperatures average between 900 to 1,300 degrees Celsius.
Today with the amazing powers of technology we can re-create this environment and replicate the same physical, chemical, and optical properties as mined diamonds. Lab diamonds are real diamonds, identical in every way but price, origin and impact to our planet and society. Think of it as making ice in your freezer versus getting it from a mountain; both are frozen H2O regardless of the origin.
Our Lab Diamonds
We are proud to know exactly where our diamonds come from. Our diamonds come from the diamond district of Antwerp and are made in 10-12 weeks from renewable wind and solar panel energy that fuels production. A diamond seed is placed in an environment that contains carbon, and under tremendous pressure and temperatures the small diamond seed begins to grow, atom by atom, molecule by molecule, emulating nature’s process. Our diamonds are 100% crystallised carbon- same as an earth diamond. All of our diamonds are IGI (International Gemological Institute) Certified.
Lab vs Mined
Lab diamonds are chemically, optically and physically identical to earth-mined diamonds with the added benefits of being more ethical, more sustainable and more affordable than diamonds mined from the earth.