Sparkle Sustainably: Your Guide to Ethically Sourced Diamonds

Ethically sourced diamonds let your engagement ring shine with love and responsibility. Explore our guide to finding the perfect ethical diamond.

Navigate this guide:

• Introduction
• 7 Essential Tips for Selecting Ethically Sourced Diamond Engagement Rings 
• Defining Ethical Diamonds
• Criteria for Ethically Sourced Diamonds
• Certifications and Global Standards
• The Cost of Ethics
• Purchasing with Awareness
• Future Trends in Diamond Ethics
• Conclusion
• 17 FAQs

Introduction

The issues associated with the global diamond industry can be sorted into three key – though interrelated – categories: ethics, conflict, and eco-friendliness.

Many shoppers who know very little about the ins and outs of investing in a worthwhile diamond are aware, to some extent, of their dark history – primarily as a tool for funding violence and war within their countries of origin. It is where the phrase ‘blood diamond’ stems from, and where the 2006 movie of the same name, and starring Leonardo di Caprio – what turned out to be a pretty powerful tool for spreading awareness – derives its plot.

The other half of that same story is human and environmental suffering – two crimes committed by those who were left to go unregulated by the diamond trade. That’s why the question of finding a good diamond – and, by that, we mean morally sourced – should be answered from two different perspectives: the perspective of ethical diamonds that do not leave human and environmental suffering in their wake, and conflict-free diamonds.

But what exactly is a conflict free diamond – and, more importantly, how do you make sure that you’ve found one? Here are your ten most pressing questions answered…

Before we dive deeper into the specifics, here are some practical tips to help guide your decision-making process:

7 Essential Tips for Selecting Ethically Sourced Diamond Engagement Rings 

• Tip 1: Verify the Source: Investigate where the diamond was mined. Ethically sourced diamonds often come from countries with strict mining regulations. Seek Transparency: Look for retailers who provide detailed information about the diamond’s journey from the mine to the market. 
• Tip 2: Understand Certification Processes: Familiarize yourself with certifications like the Kimberley Process Certificate, which ensures diamonds are conflict-free. Check for Additional Certifications: Some diamonds come with extra certifications for ethical practices and sustainable mining. 
• Tip 3: Explore Lab-Grown Diamonds: These diamonds are ethically produced with minimal environmental impact. Compare Quality and Price: Lab-grown diamonds often offer the same quality as natural diamonds but can be more affordable and ethical. 
• Tip 4: Assess the Retailer’s Ethical Practices: Choose a retailer known for ethical business practices and a strong commitment to sourcing ethically. Review Sustainability Reports: Look for retailers who publish reports on their sustainability and ethical sourcing efforts. 
• Tip 5: Look for Reclaimed or Recycled Diamonds: These are previously owned diamonds, re-introduced into the market without additional mining. Consider the Environmental Impact: Reclaimed diamonds reduce the need for new mining, making them an ethical choice. 
• Tip 6: Inquire About the Diamond’s Full Lifecycle: Ensure that the diamonds are mined under fair labor practices. Check for Environmental Impact: Understand how the mining process affects local ecosystems and what measures are taken to mitigate this impact. 
• Tip 7: Stay Informed and Updated: The field of ethical diamond sourcing is ever-evolving. Stay informed about new developments and ethical sourcing trends. Join Ethical Consumer Groups: Engage with groups or forums dedicated to ethical diamond sourcing for insights and advice.

Now that you’ve got these practical tips, use Jeweler AI below to find the perfect engagement ring that suits your style and budget:

Defining Ethical Diamonds

A conflict free, ethical diamond that has not been sold as a means of funding war, armed conflict, rebellions, or terror groups. In other words, conflict-free diamonds are the opposite of blood diamonds.

Many diamonds are mined from areas of political unrest – a level of unrest that puts the lives of many vulnerable citizens at risk and, as a result, makes it even more difficult for them to gain access to the most basic of human necessities.

The level of unrest found in high conflict areas means that mining areas can be subject to horrendous attacks from rebel groups, and that workers at these unregulated mines – many of them children – are constantly at risk. Throughout the 1990s, the horrors of the Sierra Leone Civil War made more and more consumers aware of the stories behind so many diamonds on the market, and prompted a sharp rise in the number of people understandably eager not to put any of their own money toward such a shocking narrative.

Much has changed, and conflict-free diamonds are now incredibly widespread, but the rough diamond trade is still ripe for exploitation in these remote and dangerous areas, unless a consistent effort is made to ensure that the sale of rough diamonds is kept away from war and conflict.

Conflict-Free vs Ethical Diamonds

While conflict-free diamonds are those that meet minimum requirements for ensuring that they do not fund armed conflict and warm, ethical diamonds are those that have been mined under circumstances that protect the wellbeing of their miners.

We mentioned above that the two issues remain interrelated, and they do, since armed conflict and the constant power struggles between unregulated mines and rebel groups looking to seize control make life unimaginable for the workers hired to carry out the laborious and dangerous work of bringing those rough diamonds into the light of day.

This is not, however, the only risk posed to artisanal miners. Even if you take armed conflict out of the equation, the potential for exploiting workers – many of whom represent some of the most vulnerable groups worldwide – is incredibly high.

This is why it is important to understand the two subjects separately, as well as together – and, of course, how you can invest your money into improving both sides in equal measure…

How Conflict Diamonds Are Used

Conflict diamonds fuel military action and devastating conflict.

In countries where political unrest has given rise to threatening uprisings, diamonds represent a convenient commodity to use. They have an incredibly high value, and yet can be transported very easily. Someone could feasibly carry hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of diamonds in their pocket, for instance.

For this reason, if a rebel group seizes control of a mining area, they can easily generate the funds required for armed conflict. Not only does that exacerbate the deployable conditions miners are forced to work in – often in the heart of the danger as rival groups compete for mining areas, but it also puts entire governments at risk of civil war.

This is why the work being done to hamper efforts, and stop consumers from unwittingly supporting these practices, are so important.

Environmental and Social Impact

More so than any other continent, a significant portion of diamonds are mined from Africa, where rates of poverty are, at times, so high that it is all too easy for workers to be taken advantage of, and paid a shockingly low rate of pay for their work, which is strenuous and, without the right measures in place, incredibly dangerous. Worse still, many of these laborers are children – children who are unable to attend school, and who are forced to endure horrendous treatment from those who are only driven by greed.

Without proper regulation, conditions can quickly lead to injury and disease. Many diamonds are found in riverbeds, which means workers have to spend hours searching through stagnant water – a major hazard for water-borne illnesses, insects carrying other diseases like malaria, and a wide range of possible contaminants.

Unregulated mining operations are also subject to extreme violence, borne of rivalry for control of areas. The miners are often the innocent casualties of this violence, alongside the environment, which is harmed by the speed and urgency with which mining areas are excavated.

Ethically sourced diamonds are those that have not been brought to the earth’s surface by someone – perhaps a child – suffering through these unspeakable conditions. They are stones that have been mined by a trained, unionized, adult worker who is paid a fair wage.

The environment is also protected, and not simply left to repair itself after the mining potential has been exhausted in a certain area – or, worse still, continue to play host to the horrors of a civil war funded by blood diamonds and unethical practices.

Criteria for Ethically Sourced Diamonds

Talks first began in the city of Kimberley in the year 2000, with a view to ensuring that the governments of countries with significant rough diamond production would not be undermined by their trade. While the civil war of Sierra Leone offers a major example of the impact the rough diamond trade can have on rebel movements – and, of course, the horrors it can cause for the country’s artisanal miners – it was not the only example.

Unfortunately, the production and exportation of rough diamond represents a perfect opportunity for exploitation.

So, change occurred. By December, the United Nations General Assembly lent its support to a landslide effort to impose certain standards on diamond producing countries – and, two years later, the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme was created. By 2003, just three years after the first meeting in Kimberley, its standards were first implemented.

Any country was, and remains, welcome to participate in the Kimberley Process. Since it’s not an organization, much of the hard work falls onto the shoulders of the participating nations, and its aims can only be achieved with their continued diligence and effort. 

Now, the Kimberley Process has 56 participants – a total of 82 countries, with the EU members representing one single participant – around the world. While some are not producers of rough diamond, they are importers and exporters, which means they hold a massive amount of weight in determining the direction the international diamond trade takes.

More Information on the Kimberley Process

A lot of people don’t realize that the Kimberley Process is not an organization, and employs no permanent staff. Its effectiveness relies on the relevant policy makers of participating countries and, of course, on the entirety of the jewelry and diamond industries themselves to consistently reinforce the minimum requirements of the scheme – and to build upon them in order to prevent any level of complacency from creeping into countries responsible for even a small percentage of production, exportation, or importation.

And, of course, it relies on consumers understanding the importance of giving their money to businesses that will never stray onto the wrong side of the tracks for the sake of profit or greed. Research and awareness are absolutely key here.

Certifications and Global Standards

The GIA will only grade a rough diamond if it is accompanied by a Kimberley Process certificate, however a GIA report does not guarantee that the diamond you are looking at is conflict free.

Why? Because the GIA’s requirement for Kimberley Process certification is only applicable for rough diamonds – or, in other words, diamonds that have not yet been cut and polished into a sellable shape. As a result, the conflict status of only a portion of the diamonds sent into the GIA – and given certification – will have been checked.

A diamond that has already been cut will be accepted for grading by the GIA regardless of its history – something even an expert grader cannot deduce from the sight of the stone alone.

Diamond shoppers are frequently told about the importance of a GIA report. At WillYou.com, this is something that we could write about for hours, purely because of the unparalleled value it offers to shoppers who want to make the best investment possible – and feel sure that they have made a strong choice.

However, a diamond’s GIA report focuses on its physical characteristics – the famous Four Cs of cut, color, clarity, and carat weight, as well as other distinguishing features like laser inscription, fluorescence, and proportion. Unfortunately, while it would make things infinitely simpler, a diamond does not take on any physical characteristics as a result of its journey from the mine to your partner’s finger.

So, a diamond being sold by a seller you cannot put 100% faith into – even if it is accompanied by a valid GIA certificate – is not a safe investment for anyone who does not wish to support blood diamonds, or wear a diamond that originates from some of the most deplorable conditions imaginable.

The Cost of Ethics: Pricing Comparison

Ethical diamonds are not necessarily more expensive. Those who consider themselves true proponents of ethical diamonds do not want to make them an unattainable or undesirable choice for consumers.

Ethical vs non-ethical diamond pricing

Diamonds mined from certain parts of the world, like Canada, are generally more expensive than those mined in other countries, but the price difference isn’t so significant that you have to give up on buying a real, earth-created diamond for your partner.

A large part of the work undertaken by Diamonds Do Good is intended to ensure that the diamond industry brings more benefits that negatives to the communities involved in that most pivotal step in the process: mining. This doesn’t need to mean that the cost of ethical diamonds skyrockets on the global market in order to ‘compensate’ for the greater financial investments exporters need to make into their workers.

And, if the price of an unethical diamond is significantly lower than an otherwise comparable ethical diamond, then this is likely driven by the fact that more and more buyers are taking additional steps to ensure that they don’t support unethical practices. As with blood diamonds, consumers are growing increasingly aware of how important it is to avoid unethically sourced diamonds, and sellers are having to find new ways of encouraging buyers toward them.

Purchasing with Awareness: A Buyer’s Guide

Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as ‘taking someone’s word for it’. Since the Sierra Leone civil war and the release of the movie (and documentary) Blood Diamond, consumers have shown far greater interest in the origins of the diamonds they buy. Conflict-free (and ethical) diamonds are a non-negotiable requirement for the overwhelming majority of shoppers – and, with continued education and awareness, that number continues to grow.

The downside? It’s not difficult for an unscrupulous seller to simply state ‘this diamond is conflict-free’. Not only that, but it’s a highly lucrative option, giving how much more interest (and money) there is in diamonds that have not been used to fund armed conflict.

Understandably, first-time shoppers are worried about inadvertently investing into diamonds with corrupt pasts. It’s impossible to trace a diamond’s history just by looking at it so, without the proper documentation, there’s no knowing what sort of diamond you’re looking at.

How to Identify Ethical Diamonds

Since it is impossible to know a diamond’s history on sight alone, the most important thing for any shopper is that they feel confident they can trust the vendor showing it to them.

Transparency is something that reputable businesses embrace with open arms, whether they are involved in the jewelry, coffee, chocolate, or textiles industry – or any other, for that matter. What’s more, a reputable jeweler will go to the lengths needed to understand every step involved in their own pipeline, from the mine to their own table.

Combined, these two factors mean that a reputable jeweler will be one that understands where their diamonds come from, who mined them, and what sort of conditions they face on returning to work each day.

Reliable Sources

Of course, this works for some people – but not for others. Fortunately, there are reliable avenues shoppers can take to ensure that they are not drawn-in by the smoke-and-mirrors approach created by some unscrupulous sellers who slip under the radar and continue to trade.

Reputable sellers are pretty easy to recognize – and, in the United States, adhering to the practices set forth by the KPCS and federal law is an integral part of operating any reputable jewelry store. While it is more difficult for consumers to ensure the validity of every diamond they encounter (unless they’re shopping exclusively from reputable businesses), jewelers can ensure that they are only sourcing their diamonds from conflict-free backgrounds. 

Why? Because every diamond that is produced and exported according to the Kimberley Process will be accompanied by a certificate confirming its origins.

Future Trends in Diamond Ethics

Innovations in ethical sourcing

Blockchain technology is widely recognized for the value it brings to cryptocurrencies and other digital resources and assets, but its use is not limited solely to the virtual world. It can – and, in some cases already is – offering a watertight ledger designed to track the movement diamonds make from the mine to the jewelry store. Reputable jewelers already keep an incredibly close eye on the sources of their diamonds, but blockchain will make it even more difficult for smugglers to ‘slip under the radar’, since this technology cannot be faked or tampered with.

Further Improvements in Sierra Leone

According to the Kimberley Process, around 10% of the population of Sierra Leone now relies on the diamond industry to make a living – and, since 2002, legal exports have increased one hundred times over. This isn’t the only instance of countries being able to get a handle on their production and trade of rough diamonds, but it offers a great window into the positive impact an industry as big, as in-demand and as profitable can have for everyone along the pipeline – not just those with the right amount of force to seize control.

Conclusion

It means that, as a consumer, your money is not being filtered down into a world of turmoil, violence, conflict, and unrest – or the exploitation of men, women, and children for the purpose of furthering that violence indefinitely.

It means that your partner can take pride in their engagement ring, and value it as a symbol of love and commitment, rather than a negative symbol of a part of the world still being brought to its knees by cruelty and corruption.

It is, of course, very important that you remember conflict free diamonds are not necessarily the same thing as ethical diamonds, although there is some overlap between the two subjects. It’s important to research both sides of this same coin to ensure that you’re not inadvertently purchasing a diamond that has been produced via the exploitation of vulnerable communities, or through child labor.

At WillYou.com, we are committed to offering transparency on all subjects – including ethicality and conflict. We understand the daunting task faced by shoppers who have no idea how or where to begin – only what they don’t wish to support or entangle themselves in. We are highly selective in our approach to diamond sourcing, and can assure our customers that all the necessary precautions are taken. 

17 FAQs

• Q: What Exactly Are Ethically Sourced Diamonds?
  A: Ethically sourced diamonds are mined and distributed under fair, safe, and environmentally responsible conditions. They ensure the well-being of both the workers and the surrounding ecosystems.
• Q: How Can I Verify a Diamond’s Ethical Sourcing?
  A: Look for certifications like the Kimberley Process. Additionally, ask for detailed information about the diamond’s origin and the retailer’s ethical practices.
• Q: Are Lab-Grown Diamonds Considered Ethically Sourced?
  A: Yes, lab-grown diamonds are typically considered ethical as they are produced without the environmental and humanitarian issues associated with traditional mining.
• Q: Is There a Difference Between ‘Conflict-Free’ and ‘Ethically Sourced’ Diamonds?
  A: Yes. While conflict-free diamonds are not used to finance wars, ethically sourced diamonds also ensure fair labor practices and minimal environmental impact.
• Q: Can Ethically Sourced Diamonds Be Traced to Their Origin?
  A: Many can be traced back to their source. Retailers committed to ethical practices often provide detailed traceability reports.
• Q: Are Ethically Sourced Diamonds More Expensive?
  A: Not necessarily. The cost can vary, but ethically sourced diamonds are increasingly available at competitive prices, similar to standard diamonds.
• Q: How Does Purchasing an Ethically Sourced Diamond Make a Difference?
  A: It supports responsible mining practices, ensures fair labor conditions, and helps in the preservation of the environment, contributing to sustainable development in mining communities.
• Q: What Makes a Diamond Eco-Friendly?
  A: A diamond is considered eco-friendly if it is sourced in a way that minimizes environmental harm. This includes responsible mining practices for natural diamonds and energy-efficient production methods for lab-grown diamonds. Certifications can also indicate eco-friendliness.
• Q: How Can I Verify the Ethical Origin of a Diamond?
  A: Verify ethical origins by checking for certifications like the Kimberley Process for natural diamonds or specific lab-grown diamond certifications. Ask for detailed information about the diamond’s sourcing and traceability from the retailer.
• Q: Are Lab-Grown Diamonds More Eco-Friendly Than Mined Diamonds?
  A: Lab-grown diamonds often have a lower environmental impact than mined diamonds due to controlled production methods. However, it’s important to consider the energy used in their creation. The eco-friendliness can vary based on the energy sources used.
• Q: What is the Kimberley Process?
  A: The Kimberley Process is a certification scheme that aims to prevent the flow of conflict diamonds. It ensures that the diamonds are mined and shipped in a humane, conflict-free manner.
• Q: Can Recycled Diamonds be Considered Eco-Friendly?
  A: Yes, recycled diamonds are eco-friendly as they don’t require new mining. Using existing diamonds reduces the demand for new extractions, thereby lessening the environmental impact.
• Q: Are Eco-Friendly Diamonds More Expensive?
  A: The price can vary. Lab-grown and recycled diamonds can be more affordable than new, mined diamonds. However, the cost depends on factors like quality, size, and certification, not just eco-friendliness.
• Q: How Does Diamond Mining Impact the Environment?
  A: Diamond mining can lead to land degradation, deforestation, and ecosystem disruption. It can also involve significant water and energy use. Eco-friendly practices aim to minimize these impacts.
• Q: Do Eco-Friendly Diamonds Look Different?
  A: No, eco-friendly diamonds, whether lab-grown or responsibly mined, have the same physical appearance and properties as traditional diamonds. The difference lies in their environmental and ethical impact, not in aesthetics.
• Q: Is it Possible to Find Eco-Friendly Diamond Jewelry?
  A: Yes, many jewelers now offer eco-friendly diamond jewelry, featuring ethically sourced or lab-grown diamonds. Look for jewelers who specialize in or explicitly offer sustainable jewelry options.
• Q: How Can I Ensure a Diamond is Truly Eco-Friendly?
  A: Research the retailer’s sourcing policies, ask for sustainability certifications, and consider the diamond’s life cycle, from mining or creation to the market. Transparency from the seller is key to ensuring eco-friendliness.

Embrace ethics with JewelerAI. Discover your perfect, ethically sourced diamond today. Elevate your engagement with integrity.