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What is an "ethical" diamond?
A recycled, or second-hand, diamond is a diamond that has already been extracted and used, and that re-enters the diamond market. At Héloïse & Abélard, we have chosen second-hand diamonds because we prefer to reuse rather than extract or manufacture.
However, we believe it is important to help everyone better understand the diamond "cycle" and discover the various actions and innovations in the industry that enable an eco-responsible approach to jewelry.
Discover our reuse and transformation service
The evolution of major extraction sites and the weight of the "informal" sector
The history of diamond mining began in India more than 3000 years ago. Diamond trade from antiquity to modern times exhausted Indian deposits. Subsequently, Brazilian deposits were discovered and supplied the Western market until the end of the 19th century, when South African deposits were found. Africa then became the major exporter in the 20th century, leading to an explosion of the market and the development of new mines worldwide.
Extraction primarily occurs in primary deposits (kimberlite pipes) through open-pit (quarry) or underground mining. Secondary deposits (placers or paleoplacers) can be found in riverbeds or on marine coasts (offshore).
Countries with significant alluvial, artisanal, or mechanized production are mainly in Africa: Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Namibia, Sierra Leone, the Central African Republic (CAR), Guinea, Tanzania, etc.
It should be noted that only 30% of circulating diamonds (or even 20% according to some sources) are used for jewelry, with the remaining 70% destined for industry.
Global rough diamond production is estimated to have grown to 113 million carats (Mct) in 2021, after an estimated decline to 111Mct in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Russia, which holds some of the world's largest diamond deposits, is expected to remain the largest global supplier. With the potential for new diamond mines, Botswana, Canada, and the DRC are also expected to remain leading suppliers of rough diamonds to global markets. According to some sources, Angola will be among the top five global producers and will eventually surpass the DRC to become the fourth largest.
However, all these data rely on approximations concerning the informal sector. The informal sector refers to productions for which precise statistics cannot be obtained, which explains the sometimes significant differences between sources. The unknown related to the informal sector is even more important in Africa, where artisanal mining developed significantly in the 20th century.
The phenomenon of conflict diamonds
It was in Angola that the phenomenon of "blood diamonds" was first denounced. In June 1999, at the request of Canada, the UN Security Council decided to impose an embargo on Angolan diamonds.
The UN mission revealed that diamonds were financing the war effort of the opposition movement named the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA). Conflicts in the DRC, Liberia, and Sierra Leone also drew attention to the role of diamonds in financing and developing conflicts in the 1990s and 2000s. Through strong media campaigns, NGOs denounced the trade of diamonds used to fund deadly conflicts.
This awareness had a decisive impact on the international community: in 2001, the UN Security Council voted for sanctions against Liberia. This was the third embargo decreed in less than two years by the UN against "blood diamonds."
In addition to international organizations and states, "private individuals" from civil society, namely multinational corporations and NGOs, are now part of the international political game. The consensus is based on ethical arguments. The goal is to stop buying diamonds linked to ongoing conflicts, and to do so by cleaning up the entire supply chain.
The Kimberley Process and the will to eliminate the trade of conflict diamonds
The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, launched on January 1, 2003, aims to eliminate the global trade in conflict diamonds. Through the issuance of certificates accompanying rough diamond shipments, participating states commit to controlling their diamond imports and exports.
However, the effectiveness of the process has since been questioned by numerous local NGOs.
The Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC)
Just like with gold, it is clear that the issues at the supply chain level are complex. Established in 2005, the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to certify the good practices of companies throughout the supply chain of gold, platinum, or diamonds, from mine to retail.
The RJC has established its own certification system. All RJC member companies are audited by an accredited independent auditor who, after verifying a multitude of standards, issues them a certification.
All major jewelry houses are RJC certified. Today, it is the most recognized certification, even if it remains criticized regarding the level of standards required and their transparency.
Second-hand diamonds
Recycled diamonds are second-hand diamonds that have already been used in jewelry and are re-entering the diamond market. They are generally recovered from vintage or second-hand jewelry.
Second-hand diamonds are an eco-responsible choice because they are reused and not extracted from a mine for the occasion.
There is therefore no need for additional production or extraction with this alternative.
As the diamond industry is inherently very polluting, not promoting additional extractions is a step towards a more eco-responsible market. Furthermore, it prevents the depletion of diamond resources.
Moreover, as diamond is the hardest existing material, it can be reused more than once without any problem – it would be a shame not to take advantage of it!
Synthetic diamonds
There are also alternatives via synthetic diamonds, also called lab-grown diamonds. They are produced using various physical and chemical techniques, aiming to reproduce the structure of natural diamonds.
Synthetic diamonds have the same characteristics as natural diamonds extracted from mines.
This is an interesting alternative since its manufacturing requires no extraction and the quality of the manufactured stones is similar to that of a natural diamond. Moreover, the cost of a synthetic diamond is lower than that of a natural diamond.
However, this solution remains quite energy-intensive.
Héloïse & Abélard's choice: second-hand diamonds, an ancestral tradition to perpetuate
At Héloïse & Abélard, we have chosen second-hand diamonds. At H&A, we prefer to reuse rather than extract or manufacture.
We unearth rare, high-quality gold and diamonds that lie dormant in existing jewelry and give them a second life in our asymmetrical compositions.
The use of second-hand stones is a practice that has always existed but accelerated in the 12th century. In the Middle Ages and Renaissance, as stones were rare and jewelry represented a significant financial investment, new adornments often incorporated reused or readapted antique jewelry.
The advantages of such a practice are numerous. Reusing materials in circulation within a local perimeter reduces the ecological impact of extraction or transit flows.
Second-hand is a more ethical alternative that avoids extracting new diamonds and limits social and environmental impact, while maintaining optimal quality.
The quality of second-hand
The quality of our second-hand diamonds is the same as that of first-hand diamonds. The quality criteria for recycled diamonds follow the same standards as those for first-hand diamonds.
