Lab-grown diamonds are changing the meaning of Luxury

If you see a lab-grown diamond and a mined diamond side by side, they both elicit the same scintillating awe; but lab-grown gemstones don’t carry the injustices of their mined counterparts. For the brand Aether and Sacet, transparency, ethics and regeneration are the future of luxury.

The problem with mined diamonds

Nothing shines like a diamond; but its journey from mine to jeweler is anything but scintillating. It’s well documented that mined diamonds carry a steep environmental and social price tag. A diamond passes through multiple hands, dealers, merchants and countries on its way from the mine to the jewelers. You’ll likely pay between $2,500-$18,000 for a one-carat diamond, but the per-carat cost paid by the planet is even greater:

• 1,128 pounds of CO2e emitted

• 1,028 gallons of freshwater used in extraction and processing

• One thousand tons of earth extracted

During extraction, mine tailings often leach toxic compounds into the environment and contaminate local drinking water. Biodiversity in mining regions is dwindling; and social impacts such as forced labor, unsafe working conditions and conflict are well-understood consequences of diamond extraction.

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(source: sustainablebrands.com)