Within the diamond and jewellery industry, it is not easy to source sustainable, ethical and also affordable products. In an industry notorious for pollution, mining, deforestation and waste products, we have carefully sought out suppliers with the same ethos we have – to go beyond “greenwashing” and actually make a difference in how we operate.
As a result, our raw materials of diamonds, gold, and gemstones come from sustainable, ethical and traceable sources. Additionally, our products are manufactured within a 10-minute walk from our store (yes, we walk over and back to collect them!).
Finally, our products are designed to last, to be worn and kept, passed down as heirlooms from generation to generation. Below you will find details on the steps we are taking to ensure our jewellery has a positive effect on the planet.
What are Lab Grown Diamonds?
- In terms of visual, physical and chemical properties, lab grown diamonds and natural diamonds are identical.
- The true difference lies in the origin of the stone.
- Natural diamonds are formed deep within the earth’s crust at extremely high temperatures under intense pressure.
- In contrast, lab grown diamonds are created by replicating these conditions in a lab.
- Both natural and lab grown diamonds are certified for their authenticity, origin and characteristics (4 Cs) by GIA, IGI, or HRD.
- Only certain lab grown diamonds are also certified by SCS Global – not all lab diamonds are carbon neutral!
“From our perspective, synthetic diamonds are diamonds. They’re not fakes. They have all the same physical and chemical properties of a mined diamond.”
~ Stephen Morisseau, Spokesman for the Gemological Institute of America (GIA).
In 2020, our lab grown diamonds supplier opened their entire operation to SCS Global Sustainability Certification, the first diamond producer to ever do so. SCS Global Service’s team of scientists and engineers went through every facet of their company, technologies and operations.
Because they control the process from carbon seed molecules to the hand polish of every individual facet, they can achieve a level of quality and transparency that simply isn’t possible with mined diamonds. So, working with our supplier’s management, they broke new ground in the diamond industry and achieved SCS Global’s 5 Pillars of Sustainability Certification.
While the jewellery industry has made some progress on traceability of mined gold in recent years, there is still a long way to go.
Our supplier uses only secondary gold and recycles it – it is also the first refinery with a CO₂-neutral refining process for gold.
Processing secondary gold using state-of-the-art processes and increased use of regenerative energies significantly reduces CO2 emissions.
This alternative gem is a great choice for sparkle! A durable beauty, moissanite makes a brilliant alternative for engagement rings. A less costly substitute for diamonds, moissanite was originally found in a meteorite crater and its lab-created counterpart has since landed in hearts everywhere.
When seeking out our suppliers, we often came across companies with great statements and big claims. On further inspection, these companies often fell down on some big issues.
A lab grown diamond company doesn’t mine anything BUT if they are using oil- or gas-produced electricity they are having a major impact.
Similarly, some gold producers may say they use a certain percentage of recycled gold but that means they still accept mined gold!
Taking a small step in sustainability is to be praised and admired, but it should be the first of many steps, not the only step.
At Commins & Co, we are constantly examining our processes and those of our suppliers to see where improvements can be made.
Making a Difference
Around the world, modern and industrialized farming practices are destroying the environment—and, at the same time, failing to provide reliable income and nourishment for the farmers we all depend on to survive. Trees for the Future (TREES), recognizes that unsustainable land use is the root cause of our most pressing challenges. TREES confronts these challenges by serving the people at the heart of our global food systems: farmers and their families.
As a global leader in agroforestry training for over 30 years, TREES provides hands-on, immersive education, skill building, and support, encouraging farmers to work with nature, not against it. TREES’ signature methodology, the Forest Garden Approach, helps farmers transform their land with thousands of fast-growing, ecologically appropriate trees and dozens of other crops, creating new possibilities for themselves and their communities. By embracing sustainable land practices, farmers are reclaiming their agency, breaking the cycles of climate change and generational poverty, and rebuilding our food systems from the ground up.
Changing Lives Through Trees
TREES doesn’t just plant trees, they partner with local farmers and assist them in creating a better future for themselves as well as the planet. Through planting Forest Gardens, a mixture of trees and vegetables, farmers can grow a variety of produce to eat or sell.
Mukoha Rose from Uganda is one of these farmers
When Mukoha Rose joined a Trees for the Future (TREES) project last year, she did not expect her family’s life to change so soon. Rose, 35 years old, is part of Mahono Mahalabani Farmer Group – which means your hands are workers. The group is made up of farmers from Lunyo sub county, Busia district of Uganda.
Rose saw the potential in her land before she joined TREES. She says she saw the project as a good way to test the possibilities for her farm. She joined the project hoping to gain knowledge on how best to improve crop production to increase food and income security for her family of six.
Rose does most of the farming in the Forest Garden and her husband takes the produce to the market to sell. A typical day involves Rose working in the Forest Garden by herself. Her four children help when they’re home, but happily, they’ve been at school.
“Thank you for bringing this project, if it was not for it, I would not have taken my children back to school after these two years,” Rose says.
Three of her four children currently attend school. Rose used the income from her collard greens harvest to buy their uniforms and catch up on school fees.
At Commins & Co, we are delighted to partner with TREES and to help restore trees in areas of the world which have been hardest hit by climate change and mining operations. We are committed to planting 4 trees every time a ring is sold by us or our sister company, Bespoke Diamonds.
We have planted over 4000 trees to date and are seeking to double that number this year!
The Most Popular Gemstones
Sapphire, Emerald, Moissanite, Ruby, Morganite and Aquamarine are the most popular stones.
Check out the full spectrum of coloured gemstones in our chart below.
Lab-grown gemstones are created by replicating the conditions of gemstone growth in a laboratory setting.
When compared with natural gemstones, lab-grown gemstones offer an optically, chemically, and physically identical alternative set at a lower price point