Introduction
Apart from beauty, diamonds are considered rare in value. However, the mining of diamonds poses severe issues regarding the ethics and environmental aspects associated with this precious stone. While in a world where the culture of diamond popularity is rising, this question still stands: which one of these two could be more sustainable? Within the scope of this article, we have compared lab-grown diamonds against natural diamonds to describe their environmental effects, their underlying process of production, and their sustainability.
What are Natural Diamonds?
Natural diamonds were formed billions of years ago in the earth's depths, where pressures and temperatures reach such high extremities. These natural diamonds are pushed out from the earth's surface through volcanic eruptions and brought into the world in a rock structure called a kimberlite pipe. As soon as they are located, they are mined out, cut, and polished to be used in jewellery.
Natural diamond mining also has devastating environmental impacts. Most mines end up using the open-pit method of mining, which leads to widespread deforestation, habitat destruction, and brutal debasement of lands. Mining is also a highly energy and water-intensive process, thus having an enormous carbon footprint. Besides these environmental damages that are associated with diamond mining, it has also been connected to human rights abuses, most notably in areas where conflict has occurred and "blood diamonds" have financed violent conflicts.
What are Lab Grown Diamonds?
Lab-grown diamonds are made in a laboratory using different equipment that helps replicate the natural process of diamond creation. There are two main methods of manufacturing a lab-grown diamond:
High Pressure, High Temperature (HPHT): This method almost exactly recreates the kind of pressure and heat that occurs on Earth at depth, where it eventually becomes carbon that is transformed into diamonds.
CVD: It refers to the carbon-based gases in this case. For example, methane decomposes over time as carbon is deposited onto the diamond seed due to the growth of the crystal.
Lab-grown diamonds have all the chemical, physical, and optical properties that are identical to their natural counterpart (natural diamonds). The only way they can be differentiated is through special equipment.
Natural Diamonds Environmental Impact
Natural diamond mining causes severe environmental damage. Open-pit mining usually destroys huge areas of habitats and forests that take many decades or even more than decades to regain their original condition. Besides, extraction consumes so much energy to extract, move, and work on those diamonds.
The Diamond Producers Association explains that approximately 160 kg of Carbon Dioxide is taken per carat, although carbon emission might be on another level in another mine. It also loses some freshwater because water inputs are greater in diamond mines than in other mines, and for some levels, it also depletes local ecosystems.
The erosive factor involved in diamond mining causes the wearing away of the soils leading to the death of the nutrients in that land and contaminates water bodies with chemicals associated with extraction. In many ways, the by-products of mining are toxic elements that, if not well managed, will find their way to the water bodies around the locality.
Impact of Lab Grown Diamonds on the Environment
Since these diamonds are artificially grown, they do not rely on a process that clears entire areas of land and cuts down forests. Even though the amount of energy still consumed is enormous, lab-grown diamonds mostly rely on the electricity required in the running of the HPHT and CVD processes. Mostly, labs rely on fossil fuel-based power sources and their carbon footprint.
However, cultured diamonds have a significantly much more reduced carbon footprint than their mined counterpart. Findings of the production research indicate that it emits 20-30 kilograms of CO2 per carat which is considerably smaller than its natural counterpart on earth. Besides, most lab-grown diamond producers have been shifting towards renewable energy to reduce their footprint on the environment. Friendly Diamonds.
In short, lab grown diamonds do not cause any environmental damage due to mining activities. The diamonds will not lead to deforestation, soil erosion, and water pollution, hence are considered an all-around 'eco-friendly product'..
Lab Grown Diamonds vs Natural Diamonds: A Better Choice?
While lab-grown diamonds are to be compared to natural diamonds, it is noted that a more environment-friendly approach exists with lab-grown diamonds. It is widely understood by many that natural and lab-grown diamonds have different environmental effects. However, many believe that a greater extent of damage is usually caused by the mining of natural diamonds. On the other hand, lab-grown’s carbon footprint would be lesser, requires less usage of water, and creates no destruction to ecosystems.
Although, the environmental benefits of lab-grown diamonds depend on what type of energy has been used to create them. If renewable energy is used in manufacturing lab-grown diamonds, then lab-grown diamonds will prove far better in the near future. However, in case labs keep running with fossil fuels, the environmental benefits will be overpowered by those polluting practices.
Other Concerns: Moral and Social Dimensions
Besides the environmental issues, ethical concerns enter into the debate on lab-grown vs. natural diamonds. The history of natural diamonds ties back to some countries where it has been used as a source for funding war and in scenarios where allegations of human rights violations have surfaced around the trade of such precious stones. Though the Kimberly Process was intended to put a stop on the actual inflow of "blood diamonds" into trade, but nothing has changed as far as this scenario is concerned.
On the other hand, lab-grown diamonds do not have any ethical problems. It grows controlled in its environment, so it does not attract human rights problems that most mining activities have been very close to. This will make lab-grown diamonds more favourable to the earth-conscious consumer.
Conclusion
The war between lab-grown diamonds and natural diamonds is one that seems to be tilted slightly in favor of the former in the environment. Well, it is much less destructive, leaves a smaller carbon footprint, and offers an ethical alternative to natural diamonds. But the future of lab-grown diamonds is far from certain because of the source of their energy. Once producers increase their use of more renewable energy sources, lab-grown diamonds will surely attract ecologically conscious consumers.
Apart from that, Lab-grown diamonds are found to be the environmentally friendliest, ethical, and most affordable alternative for replacing the use of natural diamonds. Therefore, lab-grown diamonds are in the future of diamond industrialization. To put a long story short, if you care about sustainability and ethics, lab-grown diamonds are the future.
