Lab-Grown Diamonds: The Blood Diamond Alternative ?

Bill Pearlman, president of Adia Diamonds, says "the fact that lab-grown diamonds don't come from a mine is of growing importance to a more environmentally and socially aware segment of the luxury jewelry market."

PRNewswire Updated: 12/20/2006 BATTLE CREEK, Michigan

Laboratory-created diamonds are origin-guaranteed and conflict-free. The focus on conflict-free diamonds will become even sharper with the release of the film "Blood Diamond," starring Leonardo Di Caprio. Set in Sierra Leone, it portrays the use of diamonds by rebel groups to fuel conflict and civil wars. Another documentary film about conflict diamonds is slated for release in 2007, based on hip hop artist Kanye West's recording, "Diamonds from Sierra Leone," which won a 2006 Grammy Award.

lab grown diamonds (Stock Photo) :: Recent technological advances and a growing social awareness are changing the way people think about diamonds.

Human-rights campaigners welcome Hollywood's focus on these issues and say it will help shed more light on the politics and practices of the diamond mining industry.

While laboratory-created diamonds have virtually no impact on the environment, diamond mines typically remove 275 tons of ore to produce a one-carat gem quality polished diamond. This material is removed through an open cast strip-mining method, which destroys ecosystems and the environment in the process.

michael beaudry classic princess ring

Adia Diamonds is a leading producer of laboratory-grown diamonds and is the first and only company to bring laboratory-created, non-treated, fancy blue and colorless white diamonds to the luxury jewelry market. These diamonds are physically, chemically and optically identical to mined diamonds yet are a fraction of the cost. Hand-cut in Antwerp, Belgium, to the highest quality standards, all diamonds are then issued certification by EGL USA. The GIA announced they will begin grading laboratory-grown diamonds in 2007.

Currently, the only true guaranteed conflict-free diamonds are those which have been laboratory created. This gives peace of mind to all those who are looking for an alternative choice in a world of diamonds.

Adia diamonds may be purchased through the company's website at http://www.adiadiamonds.com . So confident in these gems, Adia offers a lifetime buy-back, lifetime trade-up and a 14-day money back return guarantee.

A Conflict-Free Diamond

Diamonds mined in conflict zones are used to fund civil wars, armed conflicts, terrorism and insurgency. They are rightfully labeled as "conflict diamonds" or "blood diamonds". Conflict diamonds were estimated to be 4-10% of the total world annual production. They contributed to the deaths of over three million people in the past decade, forcing millions out of their homes, turning children into slaves or soldiers. Those diamonds are still in circulation on the world diamond market.

In an effort to stem the flow of conflict diamonds, the Kimberley Process was introduced to assure diamonds entering the world market are conflict-free. Although it is a major step in eliminating conflict diamonds from the market, this system in its present form is not working to its full potential. Illicit conflict diamonds continue to enter the diamond trade and mix with diamonds from legitimate sources.

Currently, there is still no way to guarantee the conflict-free origin of a mined diamond. With an Adia diamond you have a peace of mind—it is conflict-free by definition.

Environmentally Friendly Diamonds

Diamond mines typically remove many tons of diamond-bearing rock to produce a one-carat gem-quality polished diamond. In most cases, the material is removed through an open-pit mining process that destroys ecosystems, pollutes the environment and make an adverse social impact on indigenous communities inhabiting areas where mines are situated.

Could a mined diamond be the ultimate symbol of love?

Contrary to mining, no water or air pollution results from the creation of Adia diamonds. There are no greenhouse emissions, no devastated ecosystems associated with it, nor do we use hazardous chemicals, radiation or other environmentally dangerous substances and processes. In fact, the only resource consumed is a modest amount of electricity.

Adia is proud that the creation of your perfect diamond doesn’t involve any invasive activity that diminishes our environment.

Jwaneng mine (Botswana)

Adia does not rely on the ravages of strip mining to produce your diamond.

The Victor diamond mine would damage ecosystems
through harsh mining tactics.

Environmental Awareness

"One carat of diamonds is extracted from one ton of kimberlite, which itself is extracted from ten thousand tonnes of rock!"

- Natural Resources Canada

See the true ecological impact by visiting these mines:
- DeBeers Victor Mining Project Factsheet
- Victor Mining Project Ecological Impact
- Canadian Ekati Diamond Mine

Over 670 million carats have
been extracted from the Argyle
Diamond Mine, with nearly
3 billion tons of ore removed.

An Adia diamond is physically, chemically and optically identical to an earth-grown mined diamond. "To say it's not diamond is really false," said William Boyajian, gemologist and president of the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). "It's just man-made diamond."

Comparison of diamond, cz and other gemstones