5 Reasons Why You Should choose a Lab Made Diamond Engagement Ring

For decades a diamond engagement ring has been a symbol for love. Its meaning is more than just a piece of metal & stone. For years to come, the engagement ring will be a symbol of the commitment you share, the recognition that your heart belongs to someone else, it is the beginning of a wonderful new journey together.

During this period of immense happiness we somehow seem to forget the origins of the diamond. Where did it come from? How was it made? What sacrifices have been made to adorn my ring finger with such an exquisite piece of jewellery?

The diamond mining industry is horrific. Children are forced to work night and day at gunpoint while female miners are repeatedly raped. The proceeds of these mines are used to buy firearms in worn torn countries. 

The truth is, there is now an alternative way.  You can wear a diamond engagement ring with pride and joy to symbolise your love & commitment. With a diamond which is far superior than a mined diamond, one which has been specifically grown and nurtured in a lab for you. From seed to stone.

Here are my top 5 reasons why you should choose a Diamond made in a lab over one which has been mined

• Personal Choice & Style

Do you ever look back at pictures from 10-15 years ago and think ‘What was I wearing?’. It’s inevitable that fashion changes, something that looked ‘on point & trendy’ 15 years ago, may not seem so now. The same with rings. There unfortunately is no guarantee that the design you choose today will still be the design you like in 15 years time. However, the reason you choose a lab grown diamond will never change. You can re-design your ring, you can change the metal type but can you change the fact that your diamond could have been the reason why a young child was kidnapped from his family so he could be sent down into the mines? You can’t change the diamond whose purchase resulted in years of war & conflict costing thousands of lives. You can’t change the diamond whose journey to you created masses of land destruction forcing hundreds of families & wildlife to relocate and lose their homes.

One thing that can be guaranteed by choosing a lab made diamond is the diamond is ethical and has been grown using sustainable resources.

• Value & Affordability

When looking at diamonds there are two categories Type 1 & Type 2, these are further sub-divided into 2 sub categories. Type 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b. In general around 98% of the worlds population of diamonds are type 1a- this means each diamond contains around 3000ppm (parts per million) of nitrogen impurities. Type 2a diamonds make up around 1-2% of the world’s diamonds- they are almost entirely free of any impurities making it more superior to a type 1 diamond. All lab made diamonds at Ahimsa London at type 2a. This makes them far more superior & purer than any mined diamond. Generally speaking lab made diamonds on average can cost up to 40% cheaper than an equivalent mined diamond

• Eco Friendly

The environmental devastation caused by diamond mining has been discussed on a previous post (click here to read more). In conclusion diamond mining causes irreversible damage to the environment and adds to pollution as carbon emissions are extremely high. One study showed that replacing the annual Ekati diamond mines production with lab made diamonds would save the equivalent of around 438m miles’ worth of auto emissions

• Ethical Morals

 The diamond mining industry has a lot to answer for. While it has looked to address some of the issues highlighted above, in reality not much has been done. The kimberley process was a first step, however while “banning” diamonds from conflict zones very little was done to enforce this. It also ignored the human rights violations occurring within the mines. Lab made or lab grown diamonds are the only way you can guarantee cruelty and conflict free diamonds. Since they are made in a laboratory the source of the diamond is known with 100% accuracy. A mined diamond’s source is never guaranteed.

• Something new and exciting

The jewellery industry has been around for generations, however it is a rare occurrence for something new and exciting to come around in the jewellery sector.

Albeit lab grown diamonds have been around for decades and used heavily in industrial purposes, it is only recently that we have been able to grow diamonds which are of very high quality to use in jewellery. Why follow the crowd when owning a lab made diamond can make you a trendsetter