What Are Ethical Diamonds?

When buying diamond jewelry, there are many things that you need to weigh up. What’s your budget? What style is right? What carat should you opt for? What about the cut? 

Something that many of us overlook is whether the diamond in our jewelry is ‘ethical’. This is all about understanding where a diamond has come from and whether it is responsibly sourced. 

Buying an ethical diamond can be good for peace of mind, plus it can help discourage unethical practices within the industry – if everyone cared about where their diamonds came from, there wouldn’t be a need to source diamonds unethically. This post explains a few factors that can help determine whether a diamond is ethical or not.

Conflict-free

‘Conflict diamonds’ or ‘blood diamonds’ are diamonds that are sold on the black market to fund civil wars, terrorism, rebel movements and other human rights abuses.  Sadly, there are many of these diamonds being sold by jewelers around the world. However, a reputable jeweler will always make sure that diamonds are conflict-free by being able to supply a KPCS certificate (Kimberley Process certificate) – this proves that a diamond has been traded fairly and legally. 

Environmentally-friendly

Diamond mining can contribute to soil erosion, water pollution and deforestation. However, there are diamond mines that actively try to reduce environmental damage. Alternatives to diamonds such as moissanite can often be easier to source responsibly. When looking for an eco-friendly necklace or ring, look for jewelry brands that make sustainability claims or that have certification from organizations like RJC, CarbonNeutral or B Corp. This ensures that measures have been taken to protect the environment.

Fair labor

Some diamond mines have poor working conditions, fail to pay workers fairly or may even hire child labor. While the likes of gold can be traced to far mines by looking out for certification like FairMined, there is no certification like this for diamonds. However, KPCS-certified diamonds can usually be trusted to be ethically sourced from mines with fair labor conditions.

Lab-grown

Lab-grown diamonds are an alternative to natural mined diamonds that have become increasingly popular in recent years. When you buy a lab-grown diamond, you can be certain that it is conflict-free and manufactured in a lab with fair working conditions, as well as being more eco-friendly than a mined diamond. Lab-grown diamonds can also be significantly cheaper than natural mined diamonds. You can search for jewelry that uses lab-grown diamonds online.

Recycled

Buying second-hand diamond jewelry can reduce the demand on the mining and lab manufacture of new diamonds. This makes these diamonds a greener option. Second-hand diamond jewelry can also be a lot cheaper than new diamond jewelry. This could be something to consider when buying an engagement ring on a tight budget. You can find plenty of second-hand diamond jewelry online, in high street stores and at consignment stores. Be wary that some second-hand diamond jewelry may not be possible to supply with certification – so you may not always know where your diamond has originally come from. In other words, second-jewelry may be a green option, but may not always have ethical roots.