BENEFITS OF BUYING NATURAL DIAMONDS

The definition of natural is “existing in or caused by nature; not made or caused by humankind.”

Natural diamonds are created 125 miles below the Earth’s surface when carbon deposits undergo intense heat and pressure. If the depth at which diamonds are formed isn’t impressive enough, these incredibly brilliant stones take hundreds of millions of years to form. That means any natural diamond you see in finished jewelry or elsewhere is, at its youngest, 900 million years old. When talking about this natural phenomenon and what a blessing it is to humanity, our founder Bill Underwood describes a natural diamond as none other than an absolute treasure.

It is also incredible to note that not only do faceted diamonds display spectral colors, also known as fire, but they are also naturally found in a wide array of colors, including red, pink, purple, yellow, green, and blue. These natural, fancy-colored diamonds are even more rare & valuable than colorless diamonds.

You can find more diamond statistics on the time & distance their creation takes here.

Being derived from the ancient Greek word “Adamas,” diamond means invincible. This is why we have seen it time and time again as being used as a symbol for the unbreakable bond of love. Diamonds likely received this name because they are the hardest gemstone ranking a 10 on the Mohs hardness scale.

As you can imagine bringing diamonds and the rocks they come with to the surface can be a laboring task. Some people believe that “blood diamonds” are still prevalent in the industry and that there is no ethical way to mine natural diamonds. These false beliefs could not be further from the truth. The mining practices used in this century are extremely ethical and play an integral role in the health and well-being of low-income communities worldwide. Keep reading to learn how purchasing a natural diamond directly contributes to the health, well-being, success, and livelihood of these communities and their people.

Beneficiation is the name of a process or program that mines have been employing for decades to ensure they positively impact the area in which they are located. Not only does this include various job opportunities for locals, but it also includes better access to education and even healthcare for themselves and their children. The Gemological Institute of America has supplemented these efforts by offering free learning material and seminars for many natural diamond mining communities. The efforts don’t stop there.

Natural mines are increasingly making extraordinary efforts to protect the environment where their work takes place.

A leading example of this is Canada’s Ekati Mine. As the 3rd largest producer of natural diamonds, the Ekati Mine is setting standards for natural mines all over the world. They have implemented a zero interference policy regarding wildlife in the area. At one part during their mining efforts, a bird was nested near the mine. No questions asked. Mining in that area was completely halted until the bird naturally migrated. This likely cost Ekati millions of dollars, but it did not matter because they respect and know the environment is irreplaceable.  

Learn more about this process here.

This is only one example of natural mines making a conscious effort to conserve and protect the wildlife in their region.

80 percent of the value created by sustainable natural diamond recovery is retained by local communities. That translates into $6.8 billion annually going directly to local communities. The industry also protects and rehabilitates the environment: it ensures that once a mine is closed, the land is restored and rejuvenated, and has a positive impact on the community for generations to come. – Only Natural Diamonds

Our lifetime trade-in policy means that it is also forever recyclable. History shows that natural diamonds have either increased or held their original value and rarity long-term. This allows us to offer you the same value towards a new diamond worth 2x the original amount.

Developing long-standing relationships in the industry has allowed us to buy diamonds straight from the source and see mining practices firsthand. The diamonds we buy are recovered in an ethical manner that third-party regulators oversee. These mines follow stringent regulations that comply with the Kimberly Act and contribute to the region’s economic, social, and environmental longevity.

There is nothing “Lab-grown” about synthetic diamonds. These diamond replicas are created in dark manufacturing plants full of machinery, not in labs with scientists and test tubes. Another claim by retailers pushing synthetics is that they are a “sustainable alternative” to natural diamonds. This is not the case. According to a report on the environmental impact of diamonds by S&P Global, 511kg of greenhouse gasses are released to produce a one-carat synthetic diamond. This is 3 times more than the carbon emitted when mining a natural diamond of the same size. To mimic the natural creation process of natural diamonds, the high-powered, mechanical process used to grow synthetic diamonds requires energy 24/7. That means these manufacturing companies are burning fossil fuels 7 days a week, 24 hours a day.  Need I say anything about the lack of environmental efforts made to the communities these plants are near?

Suppose you care to learn more about the positive impact you are contributing to by purchasing natural diamonds. In that case, I encourage you to read the countless articles linked throughout this blog and added below. The conservation efforts, scholarship opportunities, and overall enhanced quality of life in the local communities where diamonds are mined would not be possible without the support of consumers. Those who choose to forego natural and purchase synthetic diamonds indirectly choose not to support these quality-of-life improvements.

Lab Grown Diamonds are not “mining free”

Reasons to purchase natural 

Buying natural leaves a positive impact

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