A shift in perception towards diamonds

I’m sure you’ve heard the term “Diamonds are a girl’s best friend”. The small white sparkly stone has stolen hearts for over a century and continues to do so. While often associated with luxury, recent trends are showing that diamonds are losing their shine to other alternatives.

One leading cause for this trend are that our new generation kids are shunning away from traditional mined diamonds and actively looking for alternatives like lab-grown diamonds, moissanite, and even coloured gemstones. Our generation of consumers is value conscious and have concerns with the environmental and ethical issues with diamond production.

Environmental and ethical issues surrounding diamonds

Mined diamonds are inherently dirty. Literally and figuratively – Diamond mines take up large amount of land and approximately 160kg of CO2 is produced per polished carat, which is equivalent to driving a petrol car for 628km (or driving 12.5 times across Singapore).

With roughly 111 million carats of diamonds mined every year, the environmental impact of these diamond mines is immense.

Child Labour & Blood Diamonds

Another key concern for mined diamonds is the issue with blood diamonds. Popularised by Leonardo DiCaprio in 2006 in the film “Blood Diamond”, it shed light on the ethical and humanitarian issues associated with mining diamonds. 15 years after the release of the film, it is apparent that the industry is still rifled with the impacts of these conflict diamonds.

Human Rights Watch looked at the sourcing practices from 15 of the largest diamond retailers5, which included household names like Tiffany & Co, Cartier and Chow Tai Fook. They found that a majority of these companies are not able to trace where their diamonds come from, nor do they do enough to prevent human rights violation.5 The violations discussed include mistreatment of the local population, child labour and the funding of war crimes. The Human Rights Watch also labelled diamond mining as “The Worst Forms of Child Labour”, exposing children to extreme levels of danger6.

With lab-grown gems taking up only a tenth of the energy required per carat with significantly less ethical and environmental implications, companies are beginning to consider these alternatives.7 The largest jewellery company in the world, Pandora, switched to only selling lab-grown diamonds in 2021, citing the changing taste preferences and the push towards sustainability8 as an impetus for the shift.

So Why Moissanite?

It is virtually impossible to tell the difference between a diamond and a moissanite with the naked eye. Since moissanites are created in the lab, the clarity and colour of the gem is on par with the highest graded diamonds. Most moissanites are colourless (DEF) and are graded as flawless (VVS1) on the diamond rating. With a refractive index of 2.65-2.69, it is more refractive than diamonds. Moreover, moissanite gives off fiery rainbow flashes making it appear more “sparkly” compared to diamonds.

Introducing luna

Founded in Singapore, luna is a brand that offers moissanite engagement rings to couples who seek diamond alternatives. Their 18k gold rings are handcrafted by local craftsmen with more than 40 years of jewellery-making experience, aimed at bringing eco-friendly, conflict-free and affordable rings to the masses.

Behind the brand is a conscious shift away from the negative impacts of the mined diamond industry, and a mission to empower people to celebrate their love without compromise. A sincere belief in the fact that love can be equally celebrated without a hefty price tag and sacrificing the environment is what fuels the team at luna, and they continuously strive to bring that to their customers everyday.

Find out more at https://www.forluna.co/

1https://www.bain.com/insights/global-diamond-industry-2020-21/

2https://www.cnbc.com/2016/06/16/blame-millennials-diamond-jewelry-business-in-a-rough-spot.html

3https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200207-the-sparkling-rise-of-the-lab-grown-diamond

4https://www.spglobal.com/marketintelligence/en/documents/the-socioeconomic-and-environmental-impact-of-large-scale-diamond-mining_dpa_02-may-2019.pdf

5https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/11/24/jewelry-companies-sourcing-improves-falls-short

6https://www.hrw.org/report/2018/02/08/hidden-cost-jewelry/human-rights-supply-chains-and-responsibility-jewelry

7https://diamondfoundry.com/blogs/the-foundry-journal/the-true-environmental-cost-of-diamond-production

8https://www.bbc.com/news/business-56972562

9https://www.luxuria.diamonds/can-cz-dull/