Diamonds are a girl's best friend they say but I was intrigued when my soon to be daughter in law told me she was uncomfortable with the way many of these precious stones were extracted and she was choosing a more sustainable option for her engagement ring.
If you too would love to enjoy wearing beautiful jewellery but not at the cost of the planet or people who may be less fortunate than yourself then there are a few ways you can achieve your goal.
I've always yearned for a pair of gold diamond earrings and I found that you can opt for lab-grown diamonds which in appearance and hardness match natural diamonds.
I thought the lab-grown gems might mean they are of lower quality but a little bit of research into lab grown diamonds vs natural diamonds showed me that both are great options and can not be told apart by anyone but an expert under a magnifying device. So, what IS the difference?
Here's the low down on lab-grown and natural diamonds.
Lab grown diamonds have exactly the same chemical composition as natural diamonds but are far more budget friendly. They are equally resistant to scratching or chipping as natural diamonds and are graded in an almost identical way to natural diamonds for their clarity and colour, just by a different international body of experts.
If you are buying a diamond you are probably planning to keep it for life so the resale value might not bother you. However if you are buying diamonds as an investment perhaps look at sustainably sourced diamonds which should hold, or maybe even increase in value.
This is because obviously natural diamonds are created over billions of years and take a great deal of manpower to extract from the earth's crust. It's important to ensure that the diamonds you buy are produced ethically with care for the environment, miners and the local communities around the mines.
But how do you find out if you are buying ethically produced diamonds?
If you are buying from a jewellery store ask the jeweller! They should be happy to show you evidence of how and where their diamonds were sourced. You should be sure the diamonds are not in conflict-torn areas. Sadly some diamonds mined in certain areas are sold to fund armed conflict. You should also be sure that the miners, the environment and local community are not suffering so you can look glamorous. Some mining has contaminated local water sources and impacted wildlife and human habitats.
Whether you are shopping online or IRL check for mention of The Kimberley Process, established in 2003, which aims to prevent the trade of conflict diamonds by requiring certification for diamonds from certain regions. It's not perfect but goes a long way towards taking diamonds out of the control of warmongers. If you are online you might need to scroll to the bottom of the retailer's website like this diamond jeweller where the information may be listed as "sustainability"
Whichever diamond jewellery you opt for its going to be valuable, both financially and emotionally so my top tip would be to insure your jewellery making sure your policy covers loss and theft both at home and while travelling.
Disclaimer: I was compensated for this collaboration with Responsival. Views and opinions remain honest and my own.