An Insiders guide to Diamonds

Updated on May 15, 2024 by Alison Skeates

Our mission is to craft beautiful, long-lasting pieces that mark our customers' stories, and as such, diamonds are a huge part of what we do at E.C.One.

Our love for diamonds is deep and long-established. With almost 30 years of experience, we are well aware of their pitfalls and checkered history. We want to ensure that the diamond you will carry with you for the rest of your life hasn't hurt people or the planet. We are here to provide a trusted guide to navigate the complex and often murky world of diamond sourcing.

The sustainability of Lab-grown Diamonds vs Natural Diamonds is being hotly debated. Each option has it's challenges and common assumptions; as always, there is no straightforward answer when making ethical choices.

Let's start with natural diamonds, also referred to as mined diamonds.

Since the early days of E.C.One, we knew that we only wanted to use diamonds that were sourced in areas free from conflict and abuse.

So, in 2001, we asked our Diamond suppliers to provide us with a letter of confirmation that the diamonds we were buying were conflict-free. Many people thought we were a bit over the top, but with the 2006 opening of the blockbuster film, 'Blood Diamonds', awareness was raised, and real pressure was put on the industry to do better.

Jos and Ali (our founders) at the beginning of their E.C.One Journey

The Kimberly Process, enacted in 2003, was the diamond industry's attempt to stop conflict diamonds from entering the mass marketplace by certificating the trade of stones.

All the diamonds we buy at E.C.One continue to come with written guarantees from our suppliers that they have been "purchased from legitimate sources not involved in funding conflict".

Diamond mining creates income for local communities. The natural diamond industry supports the livelihoods of 10 million people involved in the diamond supply chain, often in developing countries that rely on this rare natural resource. For example, in 2021, 88% of Botswana's total exports were diamonds. There is no easy solution in choosing between people and the planet!

So, if we care more about the planet, is a lab-grown diamond a better ethical choice?

Laboratory or lab-grown diamonds are diamonds manufactured under laboratory conditions. The intense heat and pressure that created diamonds up to 3 billion years ago are simulated via a chemical process. Using high pressure and high temperature, it is possible to grow a diamond over several weeks. This technology has become more widespread, and in recent years, we have seen the price of lab-grown diamonds drop significantly as production scales up worldwide.

When renewable energy is used, Lab-grown diamonds produce approximately one-tenth of the CO2 produced by mining natural diamonds. Unfortunately, most lab-grown diamonds are produced by burning fossil fuels and can have a greater carbon footprint than natural stones.

We only use lab-grown diamonds produced using renewable energy. This commitment is part of our ongoing efforts to reduce our environmental footprint and provide our customers with the most ethical and sustainable options. We are always upfront with our customers about the changes we see as this new market grows and changes, ensuring transparency and trust in our sourcing practices.

'We are proud to be a business committed to integrity, especially in an industry that has not always been transparent about its impact. We hope to share our love for the materials we use, continue learning and empower our community to make the best consumer decisions possible for people and the planet.'