Lab-grown diamonds are marketed as an ethical and more affordable alternative to mined diamonds – sounds appealing!
But is this sparkly solution too good to be true?
Creating diamonds in the lab requires chemicals, energy, and fuel. Just how much each lab uses is hard to know, so just like the rest of the fashion landscape, more transparency is needed!
Despite the destruction 'conflict diamonds' have caused, some communities have actually benefited from diamond mining. As documented by @liviafirth in ‘Fashionscapes’, Botswana has used the funds to empower its people.
It seems that the most sustainable solution is second-hand/re-purposed ones, and then fully traceable diamonds, whether lab-created or mined.
As ever, it's not simple, but we want to give you the facts so you can make an educated decision about where to source your sparkle.