Are lab-grown diamonds really environmentally friendly?

08th October 2023
ラボグロウンダイヤは本当に環境に優しいのか?

Lab-grown diamonds have a relatively small impact on the environment and are attracting attention from an ethical perspective.

While natural diamonds are mined in underground mines, which places a heavy burden on the global environment, lab-grown diamonds do not require the mining of underground resources and are produced in a sustainable manner, making them considered environmentally friendly.

This time, we will explain in more detail, including comparison diagrams.

Lab-grown Diamonds vs. Natural Diamonds: Which is More Environmentally Friendly?

1. Soil mining

As I mentioned earlier,

Natural diamonds are mined in underground mines, which puts a lot of strain on the soil.

・Lab-grown diamonds are produced in factories (research laboratories), so they have no impact on the soil.

Lab-grown diamonds are likely to win when it comes to having less impact on the soil.

Lab-grown Diamonds vs. Natural Diamonds: Which Has a Higher Environmental Impact?

②Water usage

There is data that shows that natural diamonds are used about seven times as much as lab-grown diamonds , meaning that less lab-grown diamonds are used.

3) Work safety

Diamond mining concept

There are places where natural diamonds are properly managed, Many of the miners involved in diamond mining suffer from low wages and human rights violations.

Children working in the mines

I am semi-forced to work

Such cases still exist.

※Reference article

"The Diamond Problem - Human Rights Issue"

https://diamondsforpeace.org/human-rights/

Lab-grown diamonds are produced in laboratories, a low-risk working environment.

④ Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions

・Natural diamonds emit 57,000g of CO2 per 1 ct

・Lab-grown diamonds are 0.02g per 1c

There is data that shows this.

It can generally be said that lab-grown diamonds are more environmentally friendly.

On the other hand, the number of “conflict diamonds*”, which were previously a problem for natural diamonds, is decreasing thanks to the efforts of the United Nations.

*Conflict diamonds have decreased.

Conflict diamonds are natural diamonds that are traded by rebel groups to fund their weapons procurement.

The Kimberley Process, adopted by the United Nations in 2000, aimed to restrict the trade of conflict diamonds by establishing an international certification system for the distribution of conflict diamonds. This has reduced the import of conflict diamonds, and it is now said that the volume of "conflict diamonds" in circulation is as low as 1%.

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