Modern in Diamond Rings
Wedding Season has started. Here's what needs a rethink bigger than the rock on that engagement ring.
“Into every girl’s life, a little diamond should fall.”
— Elizabeth Taylor —
The Greek word “adamas” - meaning unbreakable - is the root of the word “diamond”. Yet, the diamond industry is broken and The Modern Thinker dedicates this week’s issue to reveal why the status quo of diamond rings is unsustainable, followed by Modern Solutions for a life of comfort within the planetary boundaries.
Diamonds have long been revered as symbols of love, luxury, and eternal commitment. However, behind their dazzling sparkle lies a complex and often murky journey from extraction to adorning the fingers of countless brides-to-be.
The short story is this : the status quo of diamond sourcing is unsustainable.
The longer story is what we’re diving into this week in The Modern Thinker.
In particular, we need to talk about the importance of ethically sourced gems that not only steer clear of slavery but also uphold environmental integrity.
That’s why in this edition, I’ll cover how conventional diamonds are made, followed by - always my favorite part to write - the Modern Take on diamonds so that we get to keep them by challenging the status quo.
Men, if you are looking for a diamond ring for a happily ever after, aligned with your values for a prosperous future, then definitely stay to read till the end!
Now let’s put those plastic (diamond bedazzled) snorkeling goggles back on and let’s dive in, shall we?
The Status Quo
From non-renewable excavations to carbon-intensive processes, conventional diamond sourcing leaves a trail of environmental degradation and human rights abuses. We uncover the murky journey from mine to finger, shedding light on the unsustainable status quo.
Where does the process of the conventional creation of a diamond ring start?
In the mines.
Diamonds come from the Earth. More specifically: diamonds are excavated from mines, kilometers deep down into Earth. If there is one thing we need to stop doing in order to decarbonize, it’s to stop releasing more carbon into the air, when it was stored in the ground.
The conventional supply chain of a diamond ring follows these steps :
Diamond Exploration and Mining:
Geological surveys and exploration are conducted to locate potential diamond-bearing sites.
Once a promising site is identified, mining operations commence. There are various mining methods, including open-pit mining, underground mining, and alluvial mining, depending on the geological characteristics of the deposit.
Extraction and Processing:
The extracted diamond-bearing ore undergoes crushing and processing to separate the diamonds from the surrounding rock.
Depending on the mine's location and type, the processing method may involve crushing the ore, washing it in heavy media separators, or using dense media separation (DMS) plants to separate diamonds from the ore.
Sorting and Grading:
After extraction and processing, rough diamonds are sorted and graded based on various factors such as size, shape, color, clarity, and quality.
This sorting process helps categorize diamonds for different markets and applications, determining whether they will be used for industrial purposes or as gemstones.
Diamond Cutting and Polishing:
Rough diamonds deemed suitable for use in jewelry undergo cutting and polishing to enhance their brilliance and shape.
Highly skilled diamond cutters use specialized tools and techniques to carefully shape and facet the rough diamonds into polished gemstones.
Certification:
Once the diamonds are cut and polished, they may undergo certification by independent gemological laboratories.
Certification provides assurance regarding the quality, authenticity, and characteristics of the diamonds, typically including details such as carat weight, color, clarity, and cut grade.
Designing the Engagement Ring:
Meanwhile, jewelers work with clients to design custom engagement rings or select from existing designs.
Clients may choose the setting style, metal type (such as gold, platinum, or silver), and any additional features like side stones or engravings.
Setting the Diamond:
Once the engagement ring design is finalized, the selected diamond or diamonds are securely set into the ring setting.
Skilled jewelers carefully position the diamonds within the setting, ensuring they are secure and properly aligned.
None of these steps have a guarantee of ethical conduct. Let’s change that. It’s time for the next section - The Modern Take ! I’m excited, you’ll love what I have to share here.
The Modern Take
Diamonds are made under pressure, but there is a pressing (pun intended) need for transparency in the diamond industry. Here are game-changing stories of innovation and disruption that make the diamond industry not only ethical, but also climate-positive!
Let’s first start with alternative sources for the diamond : (1) the air, and (2) the lab.
1) The air : Carbon-negative diamonds
Since we’ve been talking about diamond rings, in particular engagement rings, I would like to introduce you to Aether : he first fine jewelry brand with diamonds made from 100% captured carbon.
Talking about being part of the solution, not the pollution !
2) The Lab : Lab-grown diamonds
Science rocks (pun intended - can’t help myself). Please watch this video to get valuable insights into the creation of lab-grown (or CVD) diamonds :
Diamonds are plagued by scandals involving modern slavery. “Thanks” to the opacity of these supply chains, modern slavery had free reign (poor choice of words). But that is changing!
Ethical Supply Chain Innovation
Clearly, the lack of traceability is a concern to the end customer as it’s not clear that the diamond was obtained ethically. Good news: this is changing!
The term “blood diamonds” refer to the blood that’s been shed to extract the gemstone for it to then go through a company’s production processes finally landing oh so elegantly onto a client’s finger, earlobe, neck, or arm.
Modern Thinkers seek to wear their values and know that there is power in their wallets.
Yet, just because a brand mentions the term “ethical” on their website does not mean it authentically practices ethically sourcing of their diamonds.
Enter Haelixa. This company does something incredible. During her PhD, founder Michela Puddu developed a chemical engineering method to sustainably apply DNA-markers onto materials at their source. The benefit is that when scanning the material, the traces become known to the person seeking this information.
A few years ago (2019), I met with Michela Puddu in person at the ETH lab in Zürich. There is one particular thing she told me that still rings in the back of my mind. This is what she said:
Transparency is showing, but Traceability is knowing.
— Michela Puddu, founder of Haelixa —
Supply chains are opaque, but Haelixa brings clarity as transparent as clear water.
I can’t wait to see how lab-grown diamonds will be marked with the Haelixa technology (not sure if this is already discussed internally, but I think it’d be a great move).
Closing Thoughts
Diamonds are made under pressure (slogan of my life), but we need to consider a different kind of pressure. The pressure of the year 2030 approaching. By 2030, the world needs to have cut its carbon dioxide emissions by 50%.
The fashion industry continues to make it someone else’s problem so I’m betting on the diamond industry to make a dent in the universe. And have fashion follow its example.
The status quo of diamond rings is unsustainable. How we keep diamonds in our lifestyles is not impossible, if we go Modern.
The Modern Way is possible thanks to change making companies like Haelixa and Aether Diamonds.
Would you buy or wear a diamond ring that is made from air ?
Join us fellow Modern Thinkers next week as we continue our journey towards a more sustainable and ethically conscious future.
Stay MODERN,
Marije
BTW - I’ve been independently researching the fashion industry and conceptualising (through my economist-lens) the solution. By comparing food with fashion, I landed on coining the term : Farm-to-Fashion™ (inspired by Farm-to-Fork and Farm-to-Table). My book Farm-to-Fashion is coming out later this year in hard cover form (100% circular !!), but you can pre-order your copy now so that you’re one of the first to receive your copy before the end of this year. Get 10% off with my discount code MODERN.
References
https://www.capetowndiamondmuseum.org/about-diamonds/diamond-mining/
https://time.com/collection/best-inventions-2022/6230025/aether-diamonds/
https://www.haelixa.com/
https://www.responsiblejewellery.com/
https://www.worlddiamondcouncil.org/