When we believe diamonds, most folks imagine stones forged deep within the earth for many years. However, due to increasing environmental concerns over mined gems, more and more people are choosing more reasonably priced man-made stones instead.
About diamonds
A beautifully cut diamond is a joy to behold, and traditionally, it has been a token of love and commitment. Unfortunately, most people don’t realize the impact that mining these gems has on the Earth. It can require the removal of the maximum amount as plenty of rock and earth to recover the one-carat stone. Open-pit mining is definitely not a joy to behold.
The amazing option
Gem-quality lab-produced Novita diamonds are such a recent development that the majority of jewelry stores don’t yet offer them. However, these stunning gems are available for purchase online through reputable companies. Man-made gems are the perfect choice for you or your socially and environmentally conscious loved one.
Local-ecosystem
Even worse, this kind of mining destroys the local eco-system, pollutes the environment, and adversely affects all local residents, animals, and humans alike. Just try imagining the future effects of releasing huge amounts of cyanide and mercury (the products won’t to free gems from their rock casings) into streams and rivers. It’s not a pretty picture. Fortunately, man-made diamonds offer a superb alternative to supporting this eco-disaster. Created stones are produced in the controlled environment of a lab.
How they are created
A diamond stone is placed in a carbon environment, pressurized AND heated, and allowed to grow “molecule by molecule” just as it would deep down in the Earth’s crust. The only resource used in lab creation is a small amount of electricity. No harmful products like cyanide or mercury are involved, no tearing apart the world is required, and no local residents need to suffer, as occurs in a number of the diamond mines.
Nature protection
Up to four percent of the total mined supply of these gems is composed of conflict or “blood” diamonds, which are sold to fund acts of war and terrorism. Even in countries such as Canada, where war and terrorism is not an issue, mining still adversely impacts the environment. Fortunately, Canadians have created much higher standards to protect the environment as much as possible. The monitoring of Canadian mines is continuous and stringent.
How to differentiate
In an attempt to differentiate Canadian stones from others, a microscopic ice bear or maple leaf is inscribed on as many as possible. While this certainly helps identify more eco-friendly natural stones, man-made gems still have the smallest amount of environmental impact. There are earrings and rings and many jewelry items that aren’t the smallest amount bit affordable but are definitely breath-taking, equally as enthralling and tantalizing because the mined gems that have been coveted and traded for centuries.
A real thing
The good news is that lab grown gems are the real thing. They are identical physically, chemically, and optically to naturally mined stones. They have the same brilliance and sparkle. They are even recognized and graded as diamonds by leading gemological laboratories. And it only gets better – while colored “fancy” diamonds are rare in nature and very expensive, lab created gems in vibrant shades like pink, green, blue, yellow, and red cost about one-third but their mined counterparts.
