The twenty-first century makes us closer to stepping into the world of threats. How awfully it can sound, this idea reflects the urgency of sustainably-oriented actions like no one other. Overconsumption, the devastation of natural sources and uneven redistribution of them, deforestation and drilling the soils, using chemicals in the agriculture sector, air pollution – this list of man’s prints can be endless.
Consequently, the changes they cause can be unstoppable. Everybody seems to be aware of a need for sustainable living but only a few understand what does it mean to follow sustainability often narrowing the idea to ecology. Yet, sustainability has three central dimensions - economic, environmental, and social, informally known as profits, planet, and people.
Many industries and many companies used to exploit the term sustainability for marketing purposes. Often man-made diamonds industry is accused of using such an approach but let’s check whether it is true.
Man-made diamonds are known as ethical gemstones that do not require mining and are more sustainable alternative to natural diamonds. Unfortunately, missing the mining process is often considered an insignificant aspect in terms of environmental effect. Public thought accents the need for maintaining a hot temperature that makes also a huge contribution to heating the air, polluting it with CO2 and other elements, about which society could have no information.
Partially it is true: producing man-made diamonds is indeed energy consuming, but it is impossible to redesign the naturally formed process that was developing for billions of years in a minute. The fact of relocating it in laboratory settings is an unequivocal success. It enables observations, experimentations, and improvements.Here is the sign of economic sustainability that is defined as the priority of long-term profit based on smart growth, cost-saving solutions, and reducing costs of living.
Smart growth in the man-made diamonds industry is evident with a naked eye. Just the last decade has brought such environmentally and economically oriented solutions like air diamond (using Carbone from the air), memorial diamonds (turning the cremation ashes into a diamond), and diamonds made at room temperature.
Social sustainability implying quality of life is also the point of man-made diamonds industry. The price for lab-grown diamonds is twice lower than for natural gemstones. One can afford happiness much sooner without the stressful experience of spending a huge sum of money at once. The purchasing process becomes more pleasant and, in addition, the saved money can be spent for any other life improvement – education, traveling, healthier daily diet, etc.
Apparently, man-made diamonds are not a magic cure-all or ideally safe but possess great potential for becoming those. Thierry Silber, the founder of Madestones, who believes in “technologically forward products and new ideas” is convinced that man-made diamonds are not only sustainable they are the exemplary case for implementing sustainability by business enterprises.