In addition to lowering carbon emissions, lab-grown — or synthetic — diamonds are also cheaper. According to Brides, these stones come at a price that's between 25 and 40% lower than what your natural diamond will set you back. Because the natural diamond growing process that takes a million years only requires a month or so in a lab, the cost is much lower. Furthermore, these diamonds are said to reduce the devastating impact that the diamond industry has had on the Earth.
"On average, for every one carat that is mined from the ground, up to 250 tons of earth are removed, 127 gallons of freshwater are used, billions of gallons of water are contaminated with acid mine runoff, 143 pounds of air pollution are emitted, and countless gallons of fossil fuels are consumed," Ryan Shearman, founder and CEO of Aether Diamonds, tells the outlet.
Just like most environmental issues, this one has many layers and complexities. If you want a diamond that doesn't damage the planet, stick with a lab-grown option. On the other hand, if you want to support the local communities that mine the stones ethically, talk to your jeweler about ethical diamonds that meet certain labor and environmental standards that protect workers as the planet. Luckily, as the demand has changed, more of these are available than ever.
