In addition to moissanite, we work with lab-grown diamonds to provide our clients with a more affordable and sustainable alternative to mined diamonds. Lab diamonds are chemically, physically, and optically the same as mined diamonds - the only difference is that they are grown in a lab rather than mined from the earth. Even gemologists and jewelers need special equipment to tell the difference.

SUSTAINABILITY

Sustainability is a core part of our mission, and we're pleased to offer our clients diamonds that do not contribute to the environmental destruction caused by mining. 

It's widely established that mining is terrible for the environment. For example, a 2020 report conducted at American University and the University of Delaware found that “ diamond mining proliferates deforestation and desertification, water pollution, and soil erosion and pollution” in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Zimbabwe.

Even in countries with relatively strong environmental protections, diamond mining introduces a host of environmental problems such as mining waste, acid drainage and the leaching of heavy metals into the environment. In fact, Mining Watch Canada released a map in January 2021 showing over 100 contaminated mine waste sites in British Columbia alone.

GROWTH PROCESS

Lab diamonds are cultivated using tiny seeds of existing diamonds. By mimicking the natural conditions under which diamonds grow, we can use technology to turn those seeds into diamonds.

There are two methods of growing a lab diamond: High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT) and Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD). In the HPHT growth process, diamond seeds are placed in carbon and exposed to extreme heat and pressure, replicating the underground conditions that facilitate diamond growth. CVD diamonds are grown by heating diamond seeds in a chamber with carbon-rich gases. Both methods produce beautiful diamonds.