Vested Interests and Lies: How Biased Forces Have Fooled the Consumer

I saw a presentation this week by a popular organization on how the natural diamond industry is a house of cards built on unsustainable practices and monopolistic price fixing. In response, other organizations hit back with claims that lab-grown diamonds have greatly inflated green credentials and are nothing more than a story-less product.

I’m sorry, but I have to say: enough is enough! These entities, furthering their own interests with half-truths, are doing more harm than good. I’ll say it as I see it: all this infighting is taking away from the real value created for real people—value that I have witnessed with my own eyes, not through marketing campaigns from either side.

Real Impact: Numbers Don’t Lie

In India alone, the numbers are staggering across every single Sustainable Development Goal (SDG):

• No Poverty: Average wages in the diamond industry are 5x the national average.

• Zero Hunger: Factories provide thousands of workers with nutritional meals, ensuring minimal food wastage.

• Good Health & Wellbeing: Over 50 hospitals in Gujarat are run by the diamond industry, offering affordable healthcare.

• Quality Education: The industry supports over 100 schools and colleges, with hundreds of thousands of students enrolled in Gujarat alone.

• Gender Equality: The wage gap in the industry is more than 15% lower than the national average.

• Clean Water: Award-winning conservation and water regeneration initiatives have been nationally recognized.

• Clean Energy: The industry has invested in some of the largest solar manufacturers in the country, building clean energy capacity for the world.

• Economic Growth: Direct employment to 1.3 million people, contributing 7% of GDP and 15% of merchandise exports—sustaining millions of households.

• Life on Land: Diamond merchants have spearheaded financing for over 400,000 animal shelters across the country.

And that’s just India! I’m sure even more holds true for Africa, where diamond mining provides livelihoods and infrastructure.

Beyond the Infighting

When we say "mine to market," let’s not forget all the lives touched along the way. This isn’t a matter of choosing between natural or lab-grown diamonds. It’s both. Both sectors have created significant value for communities and the economy. The often-repeated claim that diamond mining is inherently unsustainable doesn’t hold up to scrutiny—its environmental footprint is less than that of a short-haul flight or even a MacBook.

The Real Problem

So yes, I am tired of so-called "innovative" companies heavily invested in one side or the other harping on about how their product is more righteous than the next guy’s. In doing so, they not only undermine the livelihoods of tens of millions of people but also confuse consumers who genuinely want to make ethical choices.

What’s the solution? Let’s focus on building transparent, honest narratives that highlight the real positive impact of both natural and lab-grown diamonds. Instead of perpetuating divisive rhetoric, let’s work towards creating shared value—value that sustains lives, communities, and ecosystems.

It’s time to put an end to the lies and half-truths. It’s time to focus on real progress.