Discover the Truth About Lab Grown Diamonds vs Natural Diamonds

If Lab Grown Diamonds are Better, Stop Attacking Natural Diamonds!
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If Lab Grown Diamonds are Better, Stop Attacking Natural Diamonds!
Two of the biggest selling points that lab grown diamond advocates constantly promote are that lab grown diamonds are both “eco-friendly” and are ethical. However, despite these claims being repeated ad nauseum by those spruiking lab grown diamonds over their natural counterparts, these claims remain somewhat dubious – to the point where I really think the industry should do away with them all together and focus on the true benefits of lab grown diamonds.
The “Eco-Friendly” Choice
A few years back, when their popularity exploded, lab grown diamonds were promoted as “mining free”. However, last year, this was debunked , as growing diamonds requires graphite, methane and hydrogen, not to mention fuel for the electricity used – all of which need to be mined. That said, figures showing the carbon footprint of natural and lab grown diamonds are constantly being thrown around. Some recent ones include:
108.5 kilograms of CO2 per carat of natural diamonds from a 2021 report from Imperial College London.
160 kilograms of CO2 per carat of natural diamonds from an S&P Global report sponsored by The Diamond Producers Association.
Anywhere between 17 and 612 kilograms of CO2 per carat of lab grown diamonds from environmental consulting firm Sphera .
As you can see, there is still quite a bit of conjecture regarding the carbon footprint of both natural and lab grown diamonds. Given that the vast majority of lab grown diamonds are produced in either India or China, and the carbon footprint of producing one carat of polished diamond in these countries is 612kg and 523kg of C02 respectively, it may well be safe to say that natural diamonds are better for the environment – something that flies in the face of most lab grown diamond advocates!
Above: A coal powered power plant in China, no doubt powering diamond growing factories.
However, one thing that cannot be denied is the impact that mining has on the natural environment. According to a Diamond Council of America report , 250 tonnes of dirt is dug up for each carat of natural diamond. Furthermore, Anay Mridul writes on green queen :
“Diamond mining harms local ecosystems via soil erosion and water pollution. Further, shifting thousands of tonnes of rock and earth can reroute rivers and dams, leaving disastrous impacts on fish and wildlife; in some cases, it can even cause natural ecosystems to collapse entirely.”
Unsurprisingly, The Natural Diamond Council (NDC) has responded by touting their green credentials , stating:
“Members of the NDC are always working, often in partnership with governments and local communities, to reduce the impact that natural diamond mining can have on the environment. The natural diamond world protects the biodiversity of an area equivalent to the size of New York City and Los Angeles combined. NDC members protect around four times the land they use. As much as 99% of the waste from diamond recovery is rock and 84% of the water used in diamond recovery is recycled. The focus on stewardship of diamond mines by NDC members begins from the exploration phase through to the closure phase and is regulated by global environmental laws as well as national and industry regulations.”
Whilst this may be true, diamonds, just like precious metals are difficult to extract out of the earth and hence come at a cost to the surrounding natural environment. Whilst I am sure that on the whole, miners around the world are doing a better job at protecting this environment than say 50 years ago, it should be noted that diamonds, much like gold are used as a store of wealth. Hence, as consumer demand isn’t the sole driver of demand, the question then becomes just how much of this environmental degradation is attributable to consumers?
The “Ethical” Choice
The other angle of attack on natural diamonds that lab grown advocates use is that of ethics, and specifically supply chain ethics. Put simply, in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the diamond industry was thrown into the spotlight over human rights abuses and diamond mining being used to finance conflicts – culminating in the movie Blood Diamond which thrust the issue into the mainstream. Whilst the Kimberley Process was established in 2003 to weed out these issues and the NDC touting their ethical practices , it seems the natural diamond industry drifts from controversy to controversy – whether it be in Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe or more recently Russia. As I have said before , I think the industry has really missed a trick in regard to country of origin certification.
Above: Everyone’s favourite dictators – Putin and Mugabe
That said, there is no doubt that diamond mining has created a positive socio-economic impact. One only has to look at Botswana, where diamonds have contributed to 33% of their GD…

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