Diamond sourcing at W.R. Metalarts
There are lots of different options for diamond sourcing for your project and we have plenty of ethical and sustainable options for you so you can choose the perfect method for your project.
Natural Diamonds
- Option 1: Recycled diamonds
- Recycled diamonds are a wonderful choice for making your new work of art because they hold the value of a newly sourced natural diamond but they are not newly mined. We use post-consumer certified recycled stones for recycled options. This option is a great ethical choice if you want to make sure that the diamond you are using for your project has not recently been sourced in an exploitative way.
- The only downside to this option is that we are unable to guarantee that recycled stones have been ethically sourced initially. These diamonds could have been unethically sourced or could've been sourced in a way that was damaging to the environment or exploitative to the people who worked to bring it to you.
- We try to combat participating in the continued exploitation of workers in the diamond recycling market by utilizing our internal recycling program at the studio. We will trade clients heirloom stones for a credit towards their project and from this we have built up a beautiful library of recycled stones that are looking for new homes in your beautiful project!
- Option 2: Newly mined diamonds
- If you are looking for a newly mined natural diamond or have strict specifications of a natural diamond you are seeking - then Canadian mined diamonds are a great choice for you!
- We source our newly mined diamonds from Canada because this is the best option we have found in terms of ethical and sustainable sourcing, even though there is still a long way to go. These diamonds are traceable, excellent quality, and meet rigorous environmental standards - this does not exempt them from being a contributing factor to various environmental disasters in Canada throughout history. One issue that stands with these stones, however, is that there are more "Canadian-mined" stones in the diamond market than have actually been mined in Canada. As a business we push our suppliers to validate their sourcing claims and encourage others to do the same.
- We don't believe that conflict-free certifications go far enough to ensure the ethics of our diamonds so we go beyond sourcing stones that are "conflict free." This certification only means that company has had to prove that profits have not gone to fund civil war activities in certain conflict regions---it does not ensure safe working conditions, fair wages, or safe and sustainable environmental practices. Another growing concern are the labor abuses that take place in large stone cutting factories worldwide, which conflict free certifications do not regulate.
Lab-grown Diamonds
- Option 1: Diamond Foundry Lab-Grown diamonds
- This is our primary source for lab-grown stones and we are so happy to partner with them! They provide a beautiful assortment of diamonds shapes and qualities and most-importantly they create all of their diamonds in the US with 100% hydropower. They are a carbon-neutral company and strive to set the bar for sustainably created diamonds. Lab-grown diamonds take an enormous amount of energy to produce (but still ten times less than traditional mining!) so the fact that Diamond Foundry is able to create these stones using only renewable energy is something we love!
- Option 2: Other US lab-grown diamonds
- When we can't find the perfect diamond through Diamond Foundry we have other excellent sources that are based in the US! These stones might not have been created using renewable energy but we can ensure that the supply chain for these stones is filled with fairly compensated workers.
Learn more in our 'All about Lab-Grown Stones' Blog
Other Special Diamonds
For Salt and Pepper diamonds, colorful diamonds, black diamonds, and other specialized stones, we source through certified conflict-free sources (unfortunately we haven't found a more ethical option for these stones yet) and US-based lab-grown foundries. If you have specific sourcing preferences for your project just let us know and we can make sure it is a top priority for your project!
Get in touch with us today to bring your dream project to life with the perfect diamond by clicking the chat button on the bottom right of your screen!