A steep cost of going green is “greenwashing”: brands using misinformation or bad data to mislead consumers about their environmentalism. Organizations that resort to greenwashing risk reputational damage among customers who have paid a premium for what has turned out to be a false sense of sustainability, literally buying into environmentalist myths.
Brands combat greenwashing with transparency, providing reliable third-party-verified certification and audited data to measure their impact, sourcing, production, and distribution, as well as to create a reliable future strategy to improve it. Unfortunately, some organizations that withhold such information may still enjoy the halo effect of their sector’s sustainable public image.
The Fast Fashion of Laboratory Grown Diamonds
Diamonds are a cherished and enduring symbol of love and commitment, which makes them a popular investment. As with any significant purchase, it’s important for consumers to research before buying, including the choice between laboratory grown and naturally sourced diamonds.
Given the high financial and emotional costs, it’s critical for diamond brands to help consumers discern between what’s green and what’s greenwashing. And laboratory grown diamonds may not all be as environmentally or socially friendly as they seem.
It’s impossible to characterize the category of laboratory grown diamonds as having an overall neutral or positive environmental impact. Without impact data transparency, none of the laboratory grown diamond producers should make claims of sustainable practices.
Any misperception that laboratory grown diamonds are generally more sustainable than naturally sourced diamonds can be costly—both to the planet and to consumers’ wallets.
The laboratory grown diamond sector bears similarities to the fast fashion industry, whose inexpensive, mass-produced, rapidly depreciating styles may conceal resource-intensive production costs. Like fast fashion, laboratory grown diamonds can be made in weeks, or even days, and in unlimited quantities—in contrast to natural diamonds, a product in finite supply that takes billions of years to form.
A common argument for choosing laboratory grown diamonds is that they are nearly indistinguishable from natural diamonds. But verification tools can easily detect the differences in growth patterns between natural diamonds that formed deep within Earth 1 billion to 3 billion years ago and synthetic diamonds that were manufactured in under two weeks. The ability to differentiate those patterns and their sourcing processes makes laboratory grown diamond prices far lower.
Most natural-diamond mining companies are publicly listed and report on the significant measures they take to ensure their rare gems are ethically sourced, more environmentally friendly, and conflict-free, and that they benefit the families, communities, and countries of those who source them. (The natural-diamond sector supports over 10 million people worldwide.) Such transparency helps consumers consider which product best aligns with their sustainability awareness.
Fossil Fuels and Carbon Emissions
Many consumers assume laboratory grown diamonds are sustainably produced because they do not involve mining. But that’s a misconception: the high-pressure, high-temperature method of manufacturing uses graphite, and the chemical vapor deposition method uses high-purity methane sourced from gas, coal, and oil drilling. Laboratory grown diamonds’ manufacturing machinery is also built with mined metals.
Large-scale natural diamond producers such as De Beers Group are committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2030, and mining…
Read More: How Diamond Consumers Can Avoid the Dangers of Greenwashing