Buying ethical Diamond Engagement Rings in Melbourne
1) Be Informed When you receive or purchase a brand-new engagement ring, do you wonder where the diamond has come from? Do you think about the effects its journey has had on the environment or who it has impacted?
As leaders in the diamond industry, it is our ethical duty to promote transparency. We want our customers to know that when they purchase from us, they are receiving all the information of their diamond’s journey.
2) Know Where Your Diamond Came From It’s extremely important to make sure you are purchasing your diamonds from an ethical source. If you have done your research on where most of the world’s diamonds are mined, you would discover that countries such as South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Canada and Russia are well-known for their diamond mining. Botswana is home to one of the most successful and ethical diamond mining industries in the world.
Recently, Janai Director Timothy Sung flew to Africa (spending a majority of his time in South Africa) to see the mines where the world’s finest diamonds originate.
Tim had the opportunity not only to visit the mines, but also to speak directly to the locals and visit the communities whose lives have been positively changed from the mining industry.
3) Eliminating Conflict Diamonds In July 2000, the global diamond industry made clear its zero-tolerance policy towards conflict diamonds– it committed to eliminating the trade of conflict diamonds in order to cut off funding for civil war and violence. Working closely with the United Nations, governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) such as ‘Global Witness’ and ‘Partnership Africa Canada’, it created the ‘Kimberley Process Certification System’.
The Kimberley Process Certificate (KPC) is the international initiative aimed at stemming the global flow of conflict diamonds— blood or rough diamonds that are used to fund armed conflicts. It was initiated to address peace and security concerns and to protect many national economies that depend on the diamond industry.
The KPC now includes more than 50 participants involved in producing, processing, importing, and exporting rough diamonds.
4) Positive Impacts Diamond mining is an industry which can benefit the surrounding communities in many different ways. In Africa, diamond mining has had significant positive impacts on society and improvement of infrastructure such as roads, hospitals and schools. In Botswana, a large portion of schools have been built by the diamond industry as well as funding programs for higher education.
5) Sustainability As specialists in the jewellery business, we want to help protect the world and all its natural resources. We know how important it is to eliminate any unsustainable practices and procedures, and we ensure that we operate in areas that are sustainable.
We want you to enjoy your diamonds, knowing that they have originated from sustainable practices.
There are many plans and processes put in place to protect wildlife and marine animals in diamond mining regions. These plans are put in place so that the wildlife habitats are not compromised due to diamond mining.
When mining takes place in open pits, often large quantities of waste, rock and soil can accumulate in the immediate vicinity of such areas. Measures are put in place by the mining companies for the removal, storage and return of this topsoil/waste to return the area to it’s previous state.
When diamond deposits are found in coastal areas, mining companies may be required to remove soil and plant life before they begin mining. Mining of beaches and inland alluvial diamond deposits can also require the removal of overburden (such as sand and soil) and the construction of sea-walls. This kind of mining results in large-scale excavation along coastal areas and modification of the land.
Once mining is complete, soil and plant life is are replaced in areas with very low rainfall, special techniques are used to re-vegetate the area.
6)Equality Equality is important to us at Janai, which is why throughout the diamond journey we make a conscious effort to ensure all humans are treated equally. Diamond mining creates jobs for many locals in the community and we are strong believers in equal opportunity. It was no surprise to us that in South Africa, and across many African countries, there are equal numbers of women and men in the diamond industry.
7) The Right Jeweller We know how special purchasing jewellery is. Whether you are purchasing a pair of diamond earrings, or looking for that perfect engagement ring to represent your love story, there’s more to your diamond than meets the eye. It is important that the jeweller you choose practices ethically and does not deal with suppliers that may be illegally or unethically sourcing their diamonds. Sometimes a jeweller may not give you the full visibility and transparency of how they source their diamonds. At Janai, we can assure you that every diamond we source has been ethically obtained.
We’re extremely proud of our conflict-free and ethically sourced diamonds, and would be happy to discuss the positive impacts the diamond industry is having all over the world. Get in touch with one of our specialists and let us create unique pieces for you and your loved ones.
