Mining for Gems

Perhaps no aspect of our modern culture leaves us more conflicted than the positive symbolism of diamonds, in contrast to the suffering and environmental destruction those diamonds carry as their legacy.

Conflict Diamonds

In several African countries, such as Angola, Sierra Leone and Liberia, the diamond trade has financed the activities of various rebel groups. In Angola, for instance, the rebel group UNITA is thought to have earned $3.7 billion (1992-1997) in the trade of what has become known as ‘conflict diamonds’.

Although certification schemes have been developed to document the ‘chain of custody’ between producers and end users (such as the Kimberley Process), questions remain over the efficacy of measures to combat smuggling, ensure compliance, and assure monitoring and verification.

We will not belabor this point, with which most consumers are now familiar. We do think it worthwhile, however, to point out that the Kimberley Process applies only to the funding of armed conflict in certain regions. It has nothing to do with responsible practices in the mining of diamonds, providing no assurances whatsoever regarding protection of workers in the trade, or of the environment.

The Impact of Mining Gems The Conflict diamond campaign has been so successful at building awareness that the diamond companies have used the campaign to cloak themselves in responsible values, trumpeting that their diamonds are ‘ethical’. Whether one feels the conflict diamond campaign has been effective or not, certification says nothing to the process of bringing diamonds to market. That process is destructive to the environment and unconscionably cruel to many miners and cutters. (See Glitter & Greed by Janine Roberts.

Ethical Canadian Diamonds? The Canadian diamond industry loudly touts an environmental agenda, but has flouted those very values from the start. The louder they shout it, the more we doubt it. The Canadian Arctic Resources Committee cites the following impacts of the two diamond mines operating in the Northwest Territories of Canada: “Loss of fish habitat through draining of lakes, destruction of streams, changes in water quality. Water quality changes are measurable as far as 200 km downstream of Lac de Gras (Ekati mine), and there have been irreversible changes to water quality and possibly species composition in Snap Lake (De Beers diamond project). Twenty lakes have been eliminated altogether, with no fish habitat compensation measures in place.” Sadly, damage to permafrost regions repairs very slowly, if at all. Further Commentary: Clean Diamonds? (A Reprint from the Toronto Star)

Classified as a mineral commodity, most diamonds are mined. This includes deposits found in river beds, having been weathered from the surrounding rock by the action of water. In fact, about 20% of the world’s diamond production results from alluvial mining. Since these diamonds tend to be of exceptional value, there is added incentive to mine river beds.

It would be erroneous, however, to assume that mining of alluvial deposits is innocuous. Because these deposits have collected over a long period of time, they are buried deep under the river bed, and in strata higher up the river banks. Although a certain number of diamonds may be easily collected by natives, commercial production is achieved through mechanized mining which devastates the riverine ecosystems. After tons of riverbed is removed, the diamonds are typically handpicked from the sand and gravel by women and children.

Dry Rock Mining

Other diamonds come from underground mines, those mines being distributed worldwide, including every continent except Europe and Antarctica.

Mining of a diamond starts with the excavation of a pit into the diamond bearing vein, or pipe. In this process of open-pit mining, the ore material is removed with large hydraulic shovels. Hard rock is drilled and blasted so the broken material can be removed. When warranted, the mining goes underground with vertical shafts descending to horizontal passageways to access the vein. The mine pictured here is a mile wide, and 3,500 feet deep.

Alternatives

Clearly, diamond mining isn’t sustainable. Even if we are able to make progress with regard to the social cost of diamonds, the Earth doesn’t yield up her natural diamonds without an environmental price. Fortunately, there are now alternatives which are ecologically responsible.

Although synthetic diamonds have been available since the 1960’s, the stones made were only of industrial quality. It is only recently that gem quality diamonds were finally brought to market, with three companies currently pursuing this new niche.

The two different processes utilized (“High Pressure, High Temperature” and “Chemical Vapor Deposition”) both create gems which are chemically, optically and physically the same as diamonds made by nature. While testing laboratories are working to develop procedures so that they can reliably differentiate between natural and lab created diamonds, the fact that they must use sophisticated equipment to make that determination very plainly suggests that the stones will be indistinguishable to non-technical observers.

Click to learn about "Lab-Grown Colored Diamonds from Chatham Created Gems" (link opens to new window outside greenKarat site - requires free Adobe Reader).

Since these created stones are in fact real diamonds, there is little remaining reason to endure the stigma now attached to natural diamonds. We feel the time has come to start transitioning those employed in diamond mining (particularly in the Southern Hemisphere) to sustainable livelihoods in other industries, while phasing out diamond mining altogether. It simply isn’t needed any more.