“People just hear talking points about conflict diamonds or blood diamonds, or how lab is more sustainable,” said Jennifer Gandia, an owner of Greenwich St. Jewelers in New York. “And that’s not necessarily true.
For natural stones, Ms. Gandia said she focuses on where diamonds are sourced. Her team keeps a record of each diamond it sells using the blockchain traceability platform Tracer, tracking the diamond in its raw state from the mining site to the jewelry counter. All of this information is shared with her clients to show that the diamonds are conflict-free, she said.
While enthusiasts of lab-grown diamonds point to the ethics and sustainability of their choice, some jewelers, even those who sell lab-grown stones like Ms. Gandia, believe that marketing for these gems can be misleading.
It’s a common misconception that the only way to ensure a conflict-free diamond is to not mine one at all. While the lab-grown industry remains unregulated in many parts of the world outside the United States, and there is less transparency about production location, working conditions, labor rights and the energy output needed to produce a diamond in a lab, some consumers prefer a diamond without a back story."
