Diamond jewelry is a huge status symbol. From engagement rings to earrings that sparkle, people have enjoyed these gemstones in many different ways. However, the methods of getting the diamonds used in pieces of jewelry haven’t always been the best or healthiest for the environment and for certain communities. The mining industry has been around for centuries and involves digging deep into the ground to find these diamonds. With the invention of the simulated diamond, the mining industry now has some competition.
Synthetic diamonds have been around for only a few decades but are already making a tremendous impact in jewelry stores around the world. Before these lab diamonds came on the scene, people were starting to voice their concerns about natural diamonds and the dangers of mining. But seeing as you can still get a gemstone with the same physical properties, clarity, and cut-off natural diamonds has brought people back to the diamond industry. However, this has affected mine sites in different ways as well. Let’s take a brief look at how lab diamonds are changing the game for mining companies.
Synthetic Diamonds vs. Natural Diamonds
First, it helps to understand what the difference is between a synthetic diamond and a mined diamond. To get a mined diamond, miners use hydraulics equipment to dig deep into the earth to find these gems. This can be a costly venture that has impacts on the ecological landscape where they’re working. It can also be a dangerous profession to get involved in.
On the other hand, synthetic diamonds are made in a lab where the high-pressure scenario that natural diamonds grow in is replicated. By taking a diamond seed and applying pressure and heat within a carbon chamber, a diamond will form in a fraction of the time. A lab created diamond will have the same sparkle as one found in the ground. Consumers will hardly recognize a difference, and they can feel better about the way their jewel was made.
Lab diamonds are pressuring mining practices to become more ethical.
As lab diamonds become more prominent, the problems with mining practices do as well. This applies pressure to mining companies to start giving back and finding more ethical practices for their mining. Companies like Alamos Gold in Turkey are working to provide scholarships and other opportunities in the areas where they are mining. Rather than taking resources and releasing waste in these precious ecosystems, Alamos Gold is determined to leave the area better than when they found it. This is a direct result of having to compete with the growth of synthetic diamonds. As these practices become healthier, individuals are starting to turn back to natural diamonds.
Many individuals are turning to lab diamonds.
Lab diamonds have had a direct impact on the cash flow of mining companies. As consumers learn more about the dangers of natural diamonds, they may feel a social responsibility to choose a different option. When you see the environmental impacts, carbon emissions, water pollution, and more than mining can cause with poor construction activities, you may start looking for different options. Nobody wants a piece of jewelry or diamond necklace that they feel guilty about wearing. Miners are being forced to adapt and adjust to use fewer natural resources and bring a new image to the world of mining.
The availability of lab diamonds also means you may need to lower prices a bit. Lab diamonds are cheaper to produce than mined diamonds, and when people are looking for an engagement ring or piece of jewelry, they may be looking to save a bit of money. This means that companies need to find ways to still promote real diamonds and encourage people that their practices are more ethical than before.
