October 2020 - Lab Grown Magazine

October 2020 | The Lab Grown Diamond Resource Book 18 To advertise call (888) 832-1109 | October 2020 19 www.labgrownsource.com GIA’s diamond type classification schedule for Type I and Type II diamonds. (Image: GIA) natural diamonds grow in multiple di- rections.That means the lattice structure is different. Light refraction is different. One is pure carbon, the other isn’t. Shall we try to define what a mined diamond and a lab-grown diamond are again? Walk theWalk While Abraham Lincoln may have taken credit for the famous slogan “Actions speak louder than words,” the original sentence was uttered long be- fore Lincoln was born. Coined by Saint Anthony of Padua (1195-1230), the full sentence was,“Actions speak louder than words; let yourwords teachand your actions speak .”We’d be better served—and serve better—to borrow the last portion of that quote rather than the first. What we say is what we teach. It’s not just your reputation or the hopeful avoidance of legal hassles that are on the line; you are a mouthpiece to a new, global diamond jewelry industry credo. Now is not the time to mince words. Now is the time for both sides to join forces and speak as one. We’ll continue to outline the many unan- swered questions entwined with significant concerns stemming frommultiple sides of the diamond supply chain. Don’t shave off what you don’t want to be swept up for industrial use.We are the diamond jewelry industry.We create opportunity. We create allure. We suc- ceed at selling symbolism and cater to human emotion. Yet as smart as we like to think we are, decades of proven opportunities lay dor- mant. Let’s fix some of that right now. Using words like “identical” when comparing mined and lab-grown diamonds raises an immediate redflag . Rough Cut In the natural diamond space, buying rough is as commonplace as a 1-carat, round, white polished stone. So, where is all the lab-grown rough? If you look closely enough, you will find a hand- ful, but generally, you will be hard pressed to find a lab-grown company focusing on rough. Some are quick to blame certain countries for forcing us to buy polished LGDs. Sadly, those are the people that just won’t make the cut. Is it acceptable that the business mirror reflecting natural to man-made stones fogs up whenever proven practices like buying rough is spoken? Bullet Proof The diamond industry has overcome anti- trust legislation, threats from cubic zirconia, moissanite, the film Blood Diamond, and gen- erations of changing consumer preferences and cultures. There is only one new large-scale mine in development globally, and only one pre- development project that is likely to reach production stage within the next ten years, while close to twenty existing diamond mines will be exhausted within the next decade.This isn’t considering the “diving for diamonds” endeavor, featuring the latest multi-billion- dollar diamond ship from De Beers, which is set to suck up diamonds from the seabed. In PartThree of The Global Diamond Forum , we’ll take a deep dive of our own into the con- sumer demand for accurate diamond tracing, grading, reports, certificates and what modern labs such as AGS, SGL and GCAL are doing to ensure the security and transparency of the diamond world, one stone at a time. Dan Scott is a brand architect and founder of Luxe Licensing, a New York Metro-based brand and marketing agency catering to luxury and demi-fine properties. Past and current clients include Chanel, Gucci jewelry, JCKVirtual, St. Laurent, Harry Winston and up-and-coming brands. Dan welcomes conversation and may be reached at +1.201.294.3697 , dans@luxelicens- ing.com or through www.LuxeLicensing.com ■