Responsible Sources

Traditionally seen as a symbol of love and commitment, diamonds have come to represent something darker in many African nations. Diamond mining in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Angola, the Republic of Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, the Central African Republic, and the Democratic Republic of Congo have led to violent civil wars and atrocious crimes against humanity. Consumers have become more aware of the source of their diamonds; however, so-called ‘conflict’ or ‘blood’ diamonds continue to flood the market. At DiamondGarden, we believe it is our ethical responsibility to combat the cycle of violence that is created over conflict diamonds. Because our diamonds are lab-made, they have no political or social implications, resulting in a guilt-free and ethical purchase for our clients.

Diamond miners, many of them children, are severely exploited with little pay and dangerous working conditions. Child labor practices have become increasingly popular because of the desperate situations families find themselves in. Children are paid even less than their adult counterparts and are often required to do more dangerous tasks because of their size. Once a child enters the diamond mining workforce there is little hope they will ever leave the trade, because of the lack of education and opportunities. We have structured our company to avoid all association with these atrocities. DiamondGarden guarantees that all of our employees are treated fairly and equally.

The Kimberly Process is a way to certify that diamonds are “conflict-free,” but this definition is very limited. It defines “conflict-free” only as diamonds that do not finance rebel movements. While some diamond suppliers claim to sell “conflict-free” diamonds through the Kimberley process, this is inadequate and can often be misleading. It has been proven to systematically ignore widespread human rights abuses, environmental destruction, and exploitation of labor. Smuggled diamonds can often be deemed “conflict-free” because the Kimberley Process does not require that diamonds be traced to their origin mines. At DiamondGarden, we refuse to be implicated in any sort of conflict or environmental degradation. Because our diamonds are all lab-made, they are not limited by the very narrow Kimberley Process of what is considered ethical. We go above and beyond that. 

The impacts of diamond mining on the environment have resulted in severe devastation, from deforestation to the relocation of entire communities. Because of the lack of oversight and regulation, diamond mining has spawned irreversible damage to the environment. Entire rivers have been rerouted to suit the needs of the mines, resulting in an influx of cases of malaria due to the pooling of water and the spread of mosquitoes. With a lack of regulation, complete collapse of entire ecosystems is possible. Because our diamonds are all lab-made, environmental damage is minimal. 

The mining of earth-mined diamonds results in hundreds of hectares of soil being disturbed (approximately 0.00091 hectares per carat), excessive carbon emissions and other greenhouse gas emissions that lead to deteriorated air quality and pollution. Additionally, approximately 126 gallons of water are used for every 1.0 carat diamond mined.

The amount of land disturbed in the creation of a laboratory-grown diamond equates to 0.00000071 hectares per carat. The use of water is also minimal, with approximately 1.5 litres used in the creation of a 1.0 carat laboratory-grown diamond.