Unwrapping the harms of diamond mining and the emerging desire more for sustainable jewelry
While they may be a girl's best friend, typical diamond mining practices are no friend to the Earth - and how emerging consumer demands are looking to change this
The diamond industry is a dazzling and lucrative one with a consistent and dependable market. With some marketing magic, diamonds have become the leading symbol for love, commitment, and marriage. The strong sparkling stones have captured the admiration of the consumer as a token for everlasting love. Diamonds have become an essential element in marriage proposals as well as an integral component to women’s jewelry and fine gifts. With this strong and deep-rooted foundation of custom, the demand for diamonds is set to remain stable and continues to be a profitable business for many vendors.
The diamond business is an $81.4 billion a year industry with the United States being the world’s largest retail diamond market (Time). However, the spectrum from source to salesroom offers a differing reality from those mining the gemstones to those looking to purchase (Time). Consumers in the market for engagement rings face a number of considerations- cut, clarity, cost, color, carat to name a few- but tend to overlook where the gemstones come from or the mining practices involved.
While the jewelry itself is glamorous, the practices and environmental effects of diamond mining are much less so. Diamond mining poses numerous safety, ethical, and environmental issues. A rise in such awareness has sparked a desire for consumers to be able to purchase the jewelry according to their ethics. According to Ava Bai of New York’s Vale Jewelry, this desire by millennial consumers has helped push the industry to embrace sustainable practices (Time).
Severe environmental damage has been the result of inadequate planning and regulation with a concentration in African countries (Brilliant Earth). The mines in Africa are home to 65% of the world diamonds (Time). Over the past century diamond mining has been particularly reckless, failing to protect rivers and streams and creating havoc for all aspects of the ecosystem (Brilliant Earth). Diamonds need to be retrieved by mining, which disrupts the surrounding Earth in ways that are harmful to the ecosystems. Diamonds typically are mined in open pit mines, underground mines, or in marine mining (Jaume Labro). The disruption and displacement of land can result in soil erosion, deforestation, and can change the course of waterways in pursuit of the gems. This proves to be disruptive to entire ecosystems as animals are forced to migrate and in some cases face endangerment (Jaume Labro). People alike also rely on waterways for survival and such pollution wreaks havoc for surrounding communities. The removal of topsoil from the mining strips the land of needed nutrients, creating problems for agriculture and the farmers involved suffer from the infertility of the soil. Additionally, the stagnant water collecting from pits and trenches can produce waterborne viruses, parasites, and mosquitos, all of which offer harmful health risks for communities (Jaume Labro).
Additionally, a threat the industry faced more severely in the 1990s was the harm and concern around ‘blood diamonds’ or ‘conflict diamonds’ (Time). Such gems were mined in African war zones, often with forced labor, and used to fund armed rebel movements (Time). Around the turn of the millennium the diamond industry feared threat of a consumer boycott and in 2003 established the Kimberly Process. This international certification system emerged from a meeting in Kimberly, South Africa with leading global producers and buyers looking to assure consumers that the diamonds they purchased were conflict free (Time). While this was a step in the right direction, many loopholes plague the market and it is still difficult to stop diamonds mined in such circumstances to be sold across the world. Time shares one young miner’s personal story and with the consideration that, “…diamond mining even outside a conflict area can be brutal work, performed by low-paid, sometimes school-age miners.” But for many miners this is how they make their living.
Many consumers increasingly aware of the negative impacts the diamond industry has on humanitarian and environmental factors do not wish for their symbol of joy and love to be tied to controversy and pain (Time). While environmental damage is common with mining, Brilliant Earth, a leader in sustainably sourced diamonds says that this destruction is not inevitable. With proper regulation and planning some of the effects can be mitigated (Brilliant Earth). One route conscious consumers are taking is purchasing lab grown diamonds. These diamonds are engineered or cultured in laboratories with carbon atoms arranged in the natural formation to duplicate the effects of diamonds forming under the Earth’s mantle (Brilliant Earth). These diamonds possess the same chemical and physical properties of that of a mined diamond via specific pressure and heat treatments. Diamonds grown in a lab are virtually identical to natural diamonds and can only be distinguished using tests from specialized equipment (Brilliant Earth). Interestingly, while a number of sustainable purchases pose additional costs for the consumer, engineered diamonds are typically less expensive, allowing the consumer to feel good about yet another element of the purchase.
With the glitz and glam of diamond shopping and the glow of an upcoming proposal or other declaration of love, it is important not to lose sight of the factors involved in purchasing a diamond. As mentioned in Time, consumers are moving the needle on sustainable diamond purchase, encouraging the industry to make positive changes that reflect consumer desires and ethics. Changing industry standards is one of the most valuable ways to promote environmental change as a consumer. Industries are leaders in the climate crisis and are affected by and intertwined in consumer desire for their success. Therefore, being aware of the context of such purchases and seeking out and demanding better solutions offers important and necessary results. Additionally, having viable sustainable alternatives is valuable and empowering to consumers looking to make ethical and informed choices. Until next week, stay savvy.
Disclaimer: the (recently engaged!) content author is not affiliated with or sponsored by Brilliant Earth. Please undergo adequate research before purchasing one’s own sustainable jewelry.
Baker, Aryn. “Blood Diamonds.” Time, Time USA, LLC, time.com/blood-diamonds/.
“Environment.” Brilliant Earth, Brilliant Earth, LLC, www.brilliantearth.com/blood-diamond-environmental-impact/?abt=v2.
“Lab Created Diamonds.” Brilliant Earth, Brilliant Earth, LLC, www.brilliantearth.com/lab-created-diamonds/?abt=v2.
“The Shocking Environmental Impact of Diamond Mining.” How Does Diamond Mining Affect the Environment? The Answer May Surprise You, Jaume Labro, 10 Mar. 2020, www.jaumelabro.com/blog/diamond-minings-destructive-environmental-impact/.
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