Diamonds are increasingly seen as symbols of love and commitment, so it’s no surprise that consumers desire a sustainable option when purchasing wholesale diamonds Singapore jewellery. Whether you choose lab-grown diamonds or moissanite, it is essential to know how your purchase affects the environment.
On the contrary, mining diamonds is notorious for its labour abuses and environmental destruction. That is why lab-grown diamonds are becoming more and more popular.
1. Energy
The energy required to create a lab diamonds can be immense. The process requires high heat and pressure, often powered by coal or natural gas plants with high carbon emissions.
In addition, this process necessitates a substantial amount of water to cool the laboratory and run its machines. Unfortunately, this poses an immense environmental problem by contributing to waste generation and pollution in our environment.
Thankfully, Ada Diamonds has found a solution. Their laboratory processes replicate natural diamond formation without mining and thus avoid any negative environmental impacts from mining.
In a world that is becoming increasingly conscious of the need for more sustainable options, lab-grown diamonds have seen an incredible surge in popularity. Unfortunately, this cutting-edge technology is still developing and far from being an alternative to mined diamonds.
2. Water
Lab-grown diamonds offer several advantages over mined ones, including being more sustainable due to their use of less energy, water and carbon emissions.
However, it is essential to remember that several lab diamond sources have been cautioned by the US Federal Trade Commission about making claims about their sustainability.
Many lab-grown diamond factories do not use renewable electricity to run their factories, which can have a significant negative effect on the environment.
However, some companies are actively searching for ways to utilize renewable energy and reduce their production’s carbon footprint.
One company is exploring the use of boron-doped diamond electrodes to break down per- and substances (PFASs) found in drinking water. This technology offers us a potential new way to clean our waters without harming the environment.
3. Waste
Lab-Grown Diamonds are generally seen as more eco-friendly than mined diamonds, however not all aspects of the industry are perfect. For instance, diamond mining has numerous environmental impacts that affect air quality, water resources, and wildlife habitat and soil conditions.
The environmental footprint of mining diamonds is immense. A single carat of rough diamonds disrupts 100 square feet of land and generates over 5,798 pounds of mineral waste.
Comparatively, lab-grown diamonds do not disturb any land and produce no mineral waste. Furthermore, the production process uses less energy than mining for diamonds since it relies solely on electricity and heat from renewable sources for electricity and heat production.
Despite these advantages, some critics still argue that lab-grown diamonds are an unsustainable and inferior alternative to mined diamonds. They worry that brands and consumers are touting them as an eco-friendly choice without considering their full impacts. Furthermore, they fail to take into account progress made in cleaning up the mined diamond industry.
4. Transport
Diamonds are one of the rarest and most valuable natural substances on Earth. Mining them requires a significant amount of energy, water, and hazardous materials – not to mention producing large amounts of carbon emissions – a greenhouse gas.
It’s no secret that the diamond industry has a long-standing environmental legacy, with resource depletion wreaking havoc on delicate ecosystems. That is why Pandora is moving away from mined diamonds in favour of lab-grown alternatives.
In 2014, Frost & Sullivan conducted a study that revealed mining diamonds required twice as much energy per carat than lab-grown equivalents. Furthermore, producing one lab-grown carat releases 511 kg of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere – more than three times greater than mining the same stone would cause.
Conclusion
When shopping for a lab-grown diamond, it’s essential to look into sources that strive to make their production processes as eco-friendly as possible. Research the amount of energy used in their manufacturing process and determine whether they rely on renewable or fossil fuel sources.
