| When we think about diamonds, most of us | | | | mines. Up to four percent of the total mined |
| imagine stones forged deep in the earth for | | | | supply of these gems is composed of conflict or |
| millions of years. However, due to increasing | | | | "blood" diamonds, which are sold to fund acts of |
| environmental concerns over mined gems, more | | | | war and terrorism. |
| and more people are choosing more reasonably | | | | Even in countries such as Canada, where war and |
| priced man-made stones instead. | | | | terrorism is not an issue, mining still adversely |
| A beautifully cut diamond is a joy to behold, and | | | | impacts the environment. Fortunately, Canadians |
| traditionally, it has been a token of love and | | | | have created much higher standards to protect |
| commitment. Unfortunately, most people don't | | | | the environment as much as possible. Monitoring |
| realize the impact that mining these gems has on | | | | of Canadian mines is continuous and stringent. In |
| the Earth. It can require the removal of as much | | | | an effort to distinguish Canadian stones from |
| as a ton or rock and earth to recover a single | | | | others, a microscopic polar bear or maple leaf is |
| one-carat stone. Open pit mining is definitely not a | | | | inscribed on as many as possible. While this |
| joy to behold. It leaves a tragic and ugly scar | | | | certainly helps identify more eco-friendly natural |
| upon a once beautiful landscape. | | | | stones, man-made gems still have the least |
| Even worse, this kind of mining destroys the local | | | | environmental impact. |
| eco-system, pollutes the environment, and | | | | The good news is that lab grown gems are the |
| adversely affects all local residents, animals and | | | | real thing. They are identical physically, chemically |
| humans alike. Just try imagining the long term | | | | and optically to natural mined stones. They have |
| effects of releasing huge amounts of cyanide and | | | | the same brilliance and sparkle. They are even |
| mercury (the products used to free gems from | | | | recognized and graded as diamonds by leading |
| their rock casings) into streams and rivers. It's not | | | | gemological laboratories. And it only gets better - |
| a pretty picture. Fortunately, man-made diamonds | | | | while colored "fancy" diamonds are rare in nature |
| offer an excellent alternative to supporting this | | | | and extremely expensive, lab created gems in |
| eco-disaster. | | | | vibrant shades like pink, green, blue, yellow, and |
| Created stones are produced in the controlled | | | | red cost about one-third less than their mined |
| environment of a lab. A diamond seed is placed in | | | | counterparts. |
| a carbon environment, heated and pressurized, | | | | Gem-quality lab produced diamonds are such a |
| and allowed to grow "molecule by molecule" just | | | | recent development that most jewelry stores |
| as it would deep down in the Earth's crust. The | | | | don't yet offer them. However, these stunning |
| only resource used in lab creation is a small | | | | gems are available for purchase online through |
| amount of electricity. No harmful products like | | | | reputable companies. Man-made gems are the |
| cyanide or mercury are involved, no tearing apart | | | | perfect choice for you or your socially and |
| the earth is required, and no local residents have | | | | environmentally conscious loved one. |
| to suffer, as occurs in some of the diamond | | | | |