If you've been researching engagement rings recently, you've probably encountered a version of this argument: choose a lab-grown diamond because it's the ethical choice. It's a compelling idea and the jewellery industry has leaned into it heavily. But the full picture is considerably more nuanced, and anyone making a significant purchase deserves to understand it properly.
At Micheli, we work with both natural and lab-grown diamonds. We don't have a commercial interest in pushing you toward one or the other. What we do have is a genuine interest in helping you make an informed decision and that means being honest about what the research actually says.
The Case for Lab Diamonds (and Why It's Incomplete)
The central claim is straightforward: lab-grown diamonds don't require mining, therefore they don't damage the earth. No open-pit excavation, no displaced communities, no ecosystem destruction. It sounds clean and simple.
The problem is that "no mining" doesn't mean "no environmental impact." It just relocates the impact.
Growing a diamond in a laboratory is an extraordinarily energy-intensive process. The two main methods, High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT) and Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD), both require sustained extreme conditions to replicate what the earth does over billions of years. That takes a significant and sustained amount of electricity.
A 2019 study commissioned by the Diamond Producers Association found that lab-grown diamond production generates more than three times the carbon emissions per carat compared to natural diamond mining when the energy source is taken into account. The figure varies significantly depending on where the lab is located and what powers it. The majority of large-scale lab diamond production facilities operate in countries where the electricity grid is heavily coal-dependent, including China and India, which together produce a significant portion of the world's lab-grown diamonds.
In short: if your lab diamond was grown using coal-fired electricity, which is statistically quite likely, its carbon footprint may actually be larger than a naturally mined stone.
The Case Against Natural Diamonds (and Why It's Also Incomplete)
Natural diamond mining does have serious environmental consequences. Open-pit mining disturbs large areas of land, uses significant volumes of water, and has historically been linked to habitat destruction and community displacement in parts of Africa.
That history is real and shouldn't be minimised.
But the industry has changed substantially. The Kimberley Process, established in 2003, was a significant step toward regulating conflict diamonds. Modern mining operations, particularly those certified under responsible sourcing frameworks, are held to increasingly rigorous environmental and social standards. Many mining companies now invest directly in land rehabilitation, community development, and water management programs in the regions where they operate.
It's also worth noting that natural diamonds, once mined, require no further energy input. A natural diamond sitting in a ring isn't consuming ongoing resources. A lab growing diamonds is consuming electricity continuously.
The Question Nobody Asks: What Happens at End of Life?
Both natural and lab-grown diamonds are chemically identical - pure carbon in a crystalline structure. Neither degrades. Neither creates waste at the end of its life. In that sense, both are genuinely durable goods.
But natural diamonds carry something that lab-grown stones currently don't: retained value. A natural diamond can be reset, resold, passed down, or traded. Its value persists across generations. Lab-grown diamond prices have fallen dramatically in recent years as production has scaled. Some estimates suggest a drop of 50–80% in retail value since 2020, which means they are increasingly treated as consumable goods rather than heirlooms. A stone that gets replaced rather than kept is a stone that drives further production.
From a sustainability perspective, a natural diamond worn for 50 years and passed to the next generation may ultimately represent a smaller environmental footprint than a lab-grown stone replaced every decade as prices continue to fall.
So Which Is Actually More Ethical?
The honest answer is: it depends - on where the lab diamond was grown, what powered it, how the natural diamond was sourced, and what you intend to do with the ring over its lifetime.
"Lab-grown = ethical, natural = unethical" is a marketing narrative, not a scientific conclusion. The reality is a spectrum, and both options sit somewhere on it depending on the specifics.
What we'd encourage anyone to do is ask better questions:
- If you're considering a lab-grown diamond, ask where it was grown and what energy source powers the facility.
- If you're considering a natural diamond, ask for its provenance and look for stones certified under responsible sourcing standards.
- In either case, ask your jeweller to be transparent about what they know and be cautious of anyone who dismisses the question.
What We Think
We believe the most sustainable piece of jewellery is one that's made well, chosen thoughtfully, and kept for a lifetime. Whether the stone at its centre is natural or lab-grown matters less than the intention behind it.
What we don't believe is that either option comes without complexity or that simplifying that complexity into a marketing slogan does anyone any favours.
If you'd like to talk through the options properly, without an agenda, we're always happy to have that conversation.
Book a consultation with Micheli — we're on Puckle Street, Moonee Ponds and Malvern Collective in Malvern. Online appointments also available.
