When you hear the term "ethical diamond," what kind of diamond do you imagine?
In recent years, many brands have been selling jewelry that uses "ethical diamonds," but what this actually means varies greatly from brand to brand.
This time, I would like to explain the two types of "ethical diamonds" used by Japanese brands.
1. Diamonds mined with consideration for people and the environment
There are many issues surrounding diamond mining that need to be addressed, including conflict diamonds , dangerous and poor working conditions, worker abuse, child labor, and environmental destruction.
This issue was the starting point for the development of diamonds that guarantee transparency (traceability) throughout the entire process from when they are mined to when they reach the consumer, and that can be confirmed as not violating the human rights of workers and taking into consideration the impact on the surrounding environment .
The phrase "mined with consideration for people and the environment" can mean a range of different things, such as not using child labor, guaranteeing the human rights of workers, mining with consideration for the environment and surrounding communities, etc. Therefore, it is important to carefully check the definition of "ethical diamonds" set forth by the jewelry brand you are considering purchasing from.
Some diamonds call themselves ethical because they are guaranteed to be "conflict-free" in accordance with the Kimberley Process, but since 99.8% of diamonds currently in circulation in the world are produced in accordance with the Kimberley Process, it is important to note that it is difficult to claim that a diamond is ethical based on this alone.
2. Lab-grown diamonds
Lab-grown diamonds are diamonds that are created by hand in a factory (laboratory) as opposed to natural diamonds that are mined in mines.
Because their chemical formula is exactly the same as that of natural diamonds, they have the same properties as natural diamonds, such as their apparent brilliance and hardness. What makes lab-grown diamonds different from natural diamonds is the price, the time it takes to grow, and the place where they are produced.
Because they are not mined in nature like natural diamonds, they are widely recognized as ethical diamonds because they are not involved in the environmental destruction and human rights violations that can occur during the mining process .
Why we use diamonds from the Democratic Republic of Congo
The diamonds used by Jewellery Wanderlust fit the category of "diamonds mined with consideration for people and the environment" mentioned earlier.
The diamonds currently used by Jewellery Wanderlust are sourced in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Africa. Through our partners with local roots, we purchase diamonds at a fair price, and the miners are paid a premium on top of the market price of the diamonds. The premium is a fund that the miners can use to buy mining equipment and improve the lives of themselves and their families.
Diamonds that have guaranteed traceability and are known to be produced with consideration for people and the environment are particularly famous for being mined in mines in developed countries such as Canada and Australia, but it is rare to find an ethical diamond from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is the world's fourth largest diamond producing country, but there have been numerous reports of violence and abuse against miners and accidents at dangerous mining sites, and the working conditions for workers are far from ideal.
Not only in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, but many other countries where problems related to diamond mining, such as child labor, illegal labor, and dangerous working conditions, have been reported, are diamond-producing countries in Africa, and it is difficult to obtain ethical diamonds in these countries.
Despite this, there is a reason why we use diamonds from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
This is because we believe that by purchasing diamonds from these countries through fair channels, we can empower the local miners .
It is easy to boycott diamonds from countries with difficulties. However, it is the local miners who suffer the most from the loss of income that results from not buying diamonds.
That is why, by working with companies that conduct fair diamond trade even in countries with many challenges, we hope to contribute to gradually changing the current state of the mining industry in a positive direction.
Based on this belief, Jewellery Wanderlust actively uses ethical diamonds mined in African countries, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo.